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THE   LIFE 


AND 


PROFESSIONAL  CAREER 


OF 


BY 

SADIE  E.  MABTM 

(Special  Writer  for  the  Press) 


L.  KIMBALL  PRINTING  COMPANY 

MINNEAPOLIS,   minv 

L891 


Copyright  by 
SADIE  E.  MARTIN, 

1S91. 

All  rights  reserved. 


ENGRAVINGS  BY 
THE    NORTHWESTERN   ENGRAVING    CO. 

MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN. 


Music 
-Library 


grate, 

(The  sister  she  lobcb  so    fonbln.  ano 


flu  fricnb  slir  trnstcb  so  implicitly 


WHOSE   PRIVILEGE   IT  WAS  TO   MINISTER  TO  HER  DURING  THE  LAST  llol    i 
HER  LIFE,   AND  TO  HEAR   FROM   HER    LII'S  THE  SWIFT   A.SSURASI    I 
"NOT   AFRAID."   THIS    HUMBLE  RECORD  OF  THE   LI1  I     O] 


Omenta's  jSuirrtrst  ^inr\rr 

jis  brbirattb.  by 

clIjc  Aui1)iTi\ 


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w  ~C-j       pluffinfU-f  ^w*-y 


(hu,<6u^ot    £  (Led   /ukf 

&WUL  -fh*Jf  di&^-aLv   


List  of  Illustrations 


* 


Abbott  as  Violetta  in  Traviata,       .  .       .     Frontispiece, 

Emma  Abbott  as  Arline  in  1882,     .        .        .       Opposite  Pa 

Abbott  in '73,  "74  and '75 ••  "16 

Mad  Scene  prom  Hamlet,        ....             ••  "24 

Abbott  as  Yum  Yum  in  Mikado 

Abbott  and  Castle,  as  Romeo  and  Juliet,  I'.ai  <  on* 

Scene, ••  "40 

Abbott  and  Castle,  as  Paul  and  Virginia,  .        .      "  "48 

Abbott  as  Violetta ••  •■        :,i: 

'Tis  the  Last  Rose  op  Summer,       .  ■•       00 

Abbott  as  Marguerite  in  Faust •■  ••        7a 

Abbott  as  Queen  op  Spain,  A(  i  I,  Hi  v  I!r, as,        .       -  "        BO 

Emma  Abbott  as  Queen  Anne, ■•  "88 

Lucia  Bridal  Gown, ••  ••        gg 

Emma  Abbott  as  Violetta, ••  "        DO 

Emma  Abbott  as  Anne  Boleyn,  Last  A<t,  etc.,    .       "  "       in  I 

Last  Act  Ruy  Blas "  "112 

Emma  Abbott  as  Norma, "  "116 

Abbott  and  Castle,  as  Romeo  and  Juliet,       .  "      120 

Emma  Abbott  as  Josephine,  the  French  Empress,  "  "      128 

Emma  Abbott  as  Lucia  di  Lammermoor,                   .  "  "      L36 

Abbott  in  Ruy  Blas, "  -ill 

Abbott  as  Arline,  in  Bohemian  Girl,      .       .       .  "  "148 

Abbott  in  Queen  Anne  Riding  Habit,  ..."  "      152 

Setii  Abbott, "  "LOO 

Fred  M.  Abbott, "  "168 

H.  C.  Clark,  Lizzie  Abbott  Clare,    .  "      iTii 

Leon  Abbott, "  "180 

George  Abbott  and  Family "  u      184 


M| 


Emma  Abbotl  as  Arline  in  1882. 


Table  of  (  \>nti-:nts. 


CHAPTER    1. 

p  v.i.- 
Early  Characteristics.  .....  .15 

Emma's  First  Concert,  ...  17 

Meets  Parepa  Rosa,     ...  .         .  i> 

Joins  Mozart's  Chicago  Class,  ... 

Sings  at  Sherman  Bouse,  Chicago, 

False  Tales  of  Extreme  Poverty  Corrected, 

CHAPTEB    II. 
Emma  Returns  West,  ...... 

Meets  Clara  Louise  Kellogg  ai  Toledo,    . 

George  Conley's  Sad  Death  and  Abbott's  Generous  Act,  24 

Joins  Dr.  Chapin's  Church  Choir,  ... 

Finds  Warm  and  Influential  Friend-.  ....  26 

Money  Raised  to  Semi  Eer  Abroad,  .  .         27 

CHAPTER    III. 
Good-Bye  to  Home  and  Friends,  .  89 

Rest  and  Recreation  in  Switzerland.        .....  30 

Gains  a  Reputation  for  Rowing  and  Climbing, 

Takes    I"p    Her    Studies  in    Milan    in    Music,    Dramatic    Acting, 

French  and  Italian,  ......  :tl 

Culls  on  Patti,  Secures  Ber  Autograph,  Sings  for  Ber  and   Ri 

ceives  the  Diva's  Ear  Jewels  and  Letters  to  Mapleson, 
Her  Debut  in  London  as  Marie.       ..... 

Reflections  After  the  Curtain  was  Rung  Down, 

Delights  the  Florentines  and  Offends  the  Milesians,        .  34 

CHAPTER    IV. 
Her  Determination  to  Retain  Her  own  Name  in  Professional  Life, 
Trouble  with  Gye ;    •■  l  am   Emma  Abbott's  Busband ; "  Cancels 

Her  Contract   Rather  than  Sacrifice  Principle, 
Sinirs  at  a  Fifteen  Thousand  Dollar  Concert, 
Temporary  Loss  of   Voice;   Anxious  i"  Give   News,    tin'  Press 

Announces  Her  Charming  Voice  Forever  Silenced, 

«  ll  V.PTER    V. 
Mr.  Wetherell    Pronounces  Tights  All   Rlghl  If  Modestly  Worn,     n 
Emma  Abbotl  opera  Companj  Organized, 

CaS1  le  and  Karl  a-  Mimic  Lovers, 


10  Table  of   Contents. 

PAGE 

Early  Repertoire,             ...                   ....  43 

Buys  Out  Hess  ;    No  Shams  Permitted,             ....  44 

Abbott's    "Yum  Yum,"   Allen's    "Ko-Ko,"     and    Annandale's 

"Katisha," ...  45 

Crispino  or  King  for  a  Day,                    ......  46 

Trovatore;  Abbott's   "Leonora,"  and  Annandale's   "Azucena," 

favorites  with  Audiences,  .  .  46 
Elegant  Costumes  for  the  Opera,          ....                   .47 

CHAPTER   VI. 

POPULAR   MEMBERS   OF   THE   COMPANY. 

Miss  Abbott's  Admiration  for  Pretty  Helene  Bertram,  .  51 

The  Prima  Donna  Encouraged  Marriage  in  Her  Company  ; 
Helene  Bertram  Becomes  Madame  Tomasi,       .         .         .  51 

William  Broderick  an  Artist  of  Front  Rank;  Walter  Allen.  Miss 
Abbott's  Faithful  Stage  Manager  for  Many  Years,  .  51 

William  McCormack  a  Favorite  with  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wether- 
ell  ;   Daniel  Consadine  also  a  Favorite,  .  .  .52 

Early  Repertoire  ;  Liked  "Paul  and  Virginia,"  and  "Mar- 
tha" Best  of  All,         .....  53 

A  Labor  of  Love;  Lace  for  a  New  "Martha"  Dress;  "Altec 
Is  Always  Doing  Something  Nice  for  Me,"         .  .53 

CHAPTER   VII. 
Incidents  of  Her  Generosity:     Her  Bestowals  for  Chatsworth, 

Johnstown,  Louisville  and  Memphis,         .         .  .54 

A  Touching  Incident  in  Washington,  never  Before  Published,      .     56 
A  Gift  to  a  Bereavsd  and  Aged  Freedman,       ....  59 

Major  Elward's  Story, .60 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

"Last  Rose  of  Summer"  at  the  Bedside  of  a  Dying  Young  Man,  62 

A  Day  of  Song  at  a  New  York  City  Hospital,                     .         .  64 

"Mamma,  Mabel  and  Trixie," .66 

Miss  Abbott's  Generosity   and    Determination    to   Save   Jennie 

Smith  and  Cove  Bennett  from  the  Gallows,        .         .  67 

A  Dallas,  Texas,  Physician's  Home  Rendered  Happy,           .         .  68 

Miss  Annie  Colgrove  Rescued  at  Long  Blanch,  69 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Defends  Members  of  Her  Profession,            .                   .  .71 

Abbott's  Nashville,  Tenn.,  Sermon,         .....  72 

Kindness  to  Members  of  Her  Company  when  111  or  Unfortunate,     74 
Study  of  the  Summer  of  1888, 77 

CHAPTER   X. 

Charming  Costume  for   "RuyBlas,"  78 

Separation  from  Mr.  Wetherell,       ....  79 

Sad  Tidings  for  Miss  Abbott 79 

Messages  of  Condolence  ;    the  Sad  Journey  Eastward  ;   the  Bur- 
ial at  Gloucester,        ........  80 

Returns  to  the  Stage  for  the  Sake  of  Her  Company,     .         .         .83 

Domestic  Life  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wetherell,        ....  83 


Tabli  of  Contents.  11 

CHAPTER    XI. 

The  Score  of   Anne  Boleyn  is  Found  in  the  Stock  of  a  • 
of  Old  Music  in  New  York, 

Goes  Abroad:  Arranges  for  Anne  Boleyn  Costumes  and  Proper- 
ties ;  Studies  Tragedy  under  Bernhardt, 

Visits  Oberammergau  and  sees  tin-  Famous  Passion  Play, 

Abbotfs  Love  for  Paris  ami  [ts  Environments;  Sings  a<  the 
American  Art  Club,  and  is  an  Honored  Guest  at  Minister 
Whitelaw  Reid's  Reception,      .... 

Sings  Aria  from  Traviata,  "Red,  White  and  Blue,"  and  "Last 
Rose  of  Summer."  to  Four  Thousand  Persons,  90 

Meets  Vert  of  London,  and  M.  Bourgeoise  of  Paris.  9] 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Most  Elegant  Costumes  ever  Made  by  Worth  and  Felix, 
The  Lilac  Dress,      .....  93 

Beautiful  Ernani,  bal  Masque,  Martha,  and   Rose  ol  1  astile  Cos- 
tumes,     ........  ,1.-, 

First  Presentation   of   Anne  Boleyn  for  Miss  Abbott's  Honored 

Father,     .....  .„-, 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Opera  House  Openings         .... 

Metropolitan  Opera  House  at  Grand  Forks.  Dakota.  loo 

Manager  George  Broadhurst's  Tribute  of  Regard,  L01 

Flowers  and  Fruits  for  Hospital  Sufferers,       .  102 

Her  Last  Christmas  Gifts;    Uncle  Ben    Baker's    Picture:    The 

Newsies'  Thanks,  3,000  Strong,         .  [03 

CHAPTEi:    XIV. 

Love  for  Her  Father  :  Extracts  from  Her  Letters  to  Him.  lot 

Devotion  to  Her  Mother.  .  ion 

Love  for  Children,        ....  lu? 

Reverence  for  Age,  .....  ins 

Remembered  the  Sabbath  Day  and  Kepi  It  Holy.  109 

Plans  for  an  Abbott  Family  Home.  1  m 

Three  Things  She  Most  Desired,  111 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Miss  Abbott's  Visit  to  Ogden,           ...  113 

Opens  the  New  Opera  House  with  Rose  of  Castile,  .114 
Ogden  Standard's  Notice  of  the  Performance  of   the  Bohemian 

Girl  and  Martha,        .....  11.-, 

Arrives  at  Salt  Lake  City  a  Very  111.  .117 

Insists  on  Singing  Ernani,  lis 

"Booked  for  Paradise."       .....  .119 

"The  Company  Will  Go  On  ;  "   "Alice,  Dear,  Pray.'  120 

The  Scenes  at  the  Death-Bed,     .  .   L21 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
All  is  Over,  and  the  Members  of  the  Company  Exchange  Loving 

Memories  of  Their  Dead  Leader,  122 

Floral  Tributes  from  Loved  Ones, 
Telegrams  from  Friends,  129 


12 


Table  of   Contents. 


PAGE 

The  Sad  Return  Eastward, 126 

The  Cortege  Arrives  in  Chicago 127 

Decorations  at  Music  Hall ;  Pall  Bearers,  129 

"Lead  Kindly  Light," 130 

An  Eloquent  Prayer  ;  "I  Know  That  My  Redeemer  Liveth,"     .  131 

Prof.  Swing's  Address,  132 

Dr.  Thomas'  Remarks,        ....  .  135 

The  Benediction,     .......  .  138 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

Miss  Abbott's  Regard  for  Journalists, 139 

Excerpts  from  the  Chicago  Papers,     ...  .140 

The  Demands  of  the  Public;  She  Sang  from  Her  Soul,            .  142 

Financial  Success,        .......  .   143 

Unassuming  Charity, 144 

Tribute  from  Col.  Taylor,  an  Old  Friend  of  the  Family,        .  .   146 

Tributes  from  Minneapolis  Press,             ...                   .  148 

From  an  Arkansas  Paper,             ...  .    150 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Words  of  Esteem  from  Personal  Friends,              .  .151 

Mr.  W.  S.  B.  Matthews, 152 

Mrs.  S.  O.  Hazlett-Bevis,             ....  .153 

"  S.  E.  M."  in  Minneapolis  Tribune, 154 

Col.  J.  W.  McKenzie,  Kentucky, 155 

Mr.  J.  W.  Hinds,  Wilkesbarre,  Pa., 156 

The  Late  Mary  H .  Fiske,             ....  157 

Mrs.  Mary  F.  Clarke,  San  Francisco, 158 

Mr.  J.  C.  Abdill,  Kansas  City ;  Salt  Lake  Tribune,  .   159 

Frederic  N.  Peck,  Chicago, •  160 

Mr.  and  Mrs. Walter  Allen,  .  ,  ■  .  .  •  .161 
Robert  J.  Jessup,  Salt  Lake  City,             .         .         .                   .162 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

Mrs.  Sophia  Hoffman,  New  York, 163 

Recollection   of  Horace   Greeley's  Birthday  Reception  in   1872,  164 

An  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Friend, 165 

James  H.  Colville,  Springfield, 166 

Words  of  Admiration  from  Kansas  City  Times,  .  .  .  167 
Col.  Ferry,  an  Old  Friend,  Calls  on  Miss  Abbott  in  Salt  Lake,  168 
Mrs.  Forbes,  of  New  Orleans,  Writes  of  Early  Days,  .         .   169 

A  Despoiler  of  Graves  Deservedly  Rebuked,  ....  170 
Lizzie  Abbott  Clark's  Letter,       ....  .   174 

Cheerful  When  Others  Were  Sad,  177 

Her  Self-confidence  Not  Egotism,         .         .  •   178 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  Author's  Tribute  to  the  Memory  of  Her  Cherished  Friend,  180 
Sketch  of  the  Abbott  Family  for  Three  Generations,  .  .  183 
The  Source  from  which  Emma  Derived   Her   Musical   Talent ; 

Her  Father's  Success  as  a  Music  Teacher,  .  .  .  185 
Seth  Abbott  Moves  to  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  and  Originates  Two  of 

That  City's  Most  Beautiful  Suburbs,  ....  186 
Members  of  Emma  Abbott's  Immediate  Family  Now  Living,  .  187 
Wetherell  Monument,      ........         198 


INTRODUCTORY. 


"X  the  early  part  of  the  opera-season  of  lv<7  Miss  Abbott  was  \  [sited 
by  a  St.  Paul  journalist,  and  after  faithfully  reporting  his  conversa- 
tion with  her,  drew  on  his  imagination  for  the  following  statement: 
"Emma  Abbott  is  writing  a  book  which  will  contain  a  history  of 
her  life  and  professional  career."  The  announcement  made  quite  a  stir, 
and  caused  the  prima  donna  herself  to  think  such  a  booh  mighl  Ik-  made 
profitable  to  her,  and  interesting  to  tin-  public.  The  idea  seemed  to 
please  Mr.  Wetherell,  and  he  said  to  his  wile  :  "  Now  you're  in  for  it. 
The  public  expect  you  to  write  a  book,  and  you  must  either  do  so.  or 
break  your  record." 

Ere  the  week  closed  she  telegraphed  me  to  come  to  St.  Paul,  and  alter 
greeting  she  said,  "  I  suppose  you  have  heard  about  my  book  ?  "  Reply- 
ing in  the  affirmative,  1  added,  "And  1  shall  be  impatient  to  read  it.'' 
My  readers  may  imagine  I  was  somewhat  astonished  to  hear  her  say, 
"My  dear,  you  will  not  only  read,  but  I  expect  you  to  write  it.*' 

From  that  hour  our  plans  were  formed  for  the  present  work,  both 
promising  secrecy  that  the  book  might,  in  the  end.  prove  a  surprise  to 
her  company.  The  time  during  the  opera-season  was  neceasarilj  short, 
and  as  during  the  following  summer  Miss  Abbott  wished  to  devote  her 
time  to  preparations  for  a  reproduction,  in  this  country,  of  Norma,  the 
matter  was  allowed  to  rest. 

The  following  autumn  we  recommenced  our  plans,  and  Mi-s  Abbott 
wa-,  no  more  enthusiast i<- in  regard  to  them  than  was  her  husband.  Ar- 
rangements were  made  for  a  meeting  when  the  Abbott  companj  should 
return  from  their  western  torn. 

Then  came  news  of  Mr.  Wetherell's  sudden  death,  and   as  soon   there 

after  as  Miss  Abbott  could  with  delicacy  be  approached  in  the  matter, 
she  replied  :    "I  cannot  talk  of  the  past  ;   my  husband's  life  and  my 


14  Introductory. 

own  were  one  ;  in  all  things  we  were  so  closely  associated  I  cannot  speak 
of  them.  There  may  come  a  time  when  it  will  he  a  pleasure  to  me  to 
recall  all  the  little  interesting  incidents  of  my  life,  hut  not  now,  oh,  not 
now. ' ' 

The  time  did  come,  and  in  October,  1890,  Miss  Abbott  said  :  "I  am 
ready  to  begin  again  upon  our  long  neglected  plans,  and  God  grant  they 
may  not  be  as  suddenly  and  sadly  interfered  with  as  before." 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  her  time  was  rilled  with  other  duties, 
we  found  here  and  there  an  hour  for  our  work.  While  standing  in  the 
wings  awaiting  her  cue,  in  her  dressing  room,  or  at  meal  time,  she 
gave  me  many  of  the  incidents  recorded  in  this  work.  Then  when  her 
Minneapolis  week  ended,  she  said,  "  Go  ahead,  do  your  best,  and  when  I 
return  Ave  will  plan  the  rest." 

The  public  knows  the  sad  sequel.  Instead  of  carrying  on  the  work 
under  the  inspiration  of  her  sunny  presence,  I  have  continued  and  con- 
cluded it  in  tears. 

But  that  I  felt  I  had  no  moral  right  to  withhold  the  history  of  a  life 
which  had  been  so  replete  with  good  and  noble  deeds,  and  the  many  inci- 
dents in  iny  exclusive  possession,  which  would  if  recorded  for  the  public, 
prove  so  helpful  to  girls  and  women  struggliug  to  win  for  themselves  a 
position  in  the  world — but  for  this,  I  would  have  collected  the  scattering 
pages  I  had  prepared  and  placed  them  with  other  souvenirs  of  my  cher- 
ished friend,  among  my  treasures  of  the  past. 

I  decided,  however,  after  consultation  with  members  of  her  family  to 
complete  the  biography,  and  give  it  to  the  public  ;  not  as  I  would  a 
work  exclusively  my  own,  but  as  my  record  of  incidents  in  the  life  of  one 
of  the  purest,  noblest  women  of  her  time,  America's  Queen  of  Song. 

Sadie  E.  Martin. 


NOTE. 

Thanks  are  due  Seth  Abbott  and  Lizzie  Abbott  Clark,  the  father  and 
sister  of  my  deceased  friend  ;  to  Madame  Sophie  Hoffman,  of  New  York, 
Miss  Ellerington,  of  Jersey  City,  Mr.  N.  F.  Twing  and  Miss  Vernon,  of 
Minneapolis,  for  information  cheerfully  and  kindly  given  me,  also  to 
Thors,  photographer,  of  San  Francisco,  for  photos  from  which  most  of 
my  engravings  are  made. 


CHAPTER    I. 


HERE  are  persons  to  whom  life  is  simply  a 
state  of  existence;  they  conn-  into  the 
world,  eat,  drink  and  die;  and  while  soci 
ety  may  not  be  the  worse,  it  is  certainly 
none  the  better  that  they  have  lived.  There 
is  no  condition  of  birth  or  rank,  obscurity 
or  publicity,  poverty  or  wealth,  to  which  this  fact  may  be 
attributed,  for  a  king's  son  may  live  threescore  years  and  ten. 
then  die  unknown,  except  to  his  own  household  ;  while  tin- 
child  of  humbler  origin  may  attain  to  the  highest  round  in  the 
ladder  of  fame,  and  his  name  be  known  in  many  lands. 

Such  an  one  was  Emma  Abbott;  who  by  means  of  her  en 
ergy,  and  talent,  assisted  in  her  own  support  a1  an  early  age 
and  later  supplemented  by  her  womanliness  and  Bweetness  <>!' 
disposition,  won  a  way  to  the  hearts  of  friends,  who  placed 
within  her  reach  aid  in  laying  the  foundation  of  her  remarkable 
career. 

While  yet  a  child  she  displayed  the  sterling  qualities  which 
marked  her  entire  life  ;  qualities,  too,  that  are  seldom  seen  in  one 
nature.  Modest,  at  times  painfully  so.  yel  she  believed  in  her- 
self :    and  was  determined  to  make  the  world  believe  in  her  also  . 


16  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

honest  to  a  degree  which  won  for  her  at  the  beginning  of  her 
career  the  title  which  followed  her  to  its  close,  ' <  Honest  Little 
Emma";  yet  she  was  politic  and  shrewd  in  business  transac- 
tions, a  fact  proven  by  the  fortune  of  which  she  was  possessed 
at  the  time  of  her  death.  So  sensitive  was  she  that  an  unkind 
word  or  unjust  criticism  would  make  her  heart  ache  and  cause 
her  to  burst  into  tears,  yet  when  duty  seemed  to  call,  no  matter 
what  the  personal  sacrifice,  Emma  Abbott  obeyed. 

It  was  this  union  of  tenderness  and  justice  in  her  character 
which  led  to  the  strict  discipline  in  the  company  of  which  Miss 
Abbott  was  for  many  }Tears  the  head ;  and  }ret  at  the  same  time 
caused  every  member  of  that  company  to  feel  that  in  her  they 
had  a  personal  friend  ;  one  who  was  as  jealous  of  their  interests, 
of  their  good  name,  as  of  her  own.  There  were  no  scandals  in 
the  Abbott  company,  because  their  leader's  eye  was  ever  watch- 
ful, and  because  her  own  pure  life  and  example  supplemented 
by  needed  advice  and  reproof,  kept  each  in  the  path  of  right. 

It  was  this  unusual  aggregation  of  seemingly  contradictory 
qualities  which  gave  to  the  star  the  well-balanced  mind  for 
which  she  became  noted,  and  rounded  out  her  nature. 

On  the  night  of  the  ninth  of  December,  1850,  an  Abbott 
concert  was  given  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  led  by  Seth  Abbott, 
assisted  by  Frank  Lombard,  a  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hillis,  and  other 
musical  celebrities  of  the  time  and  localit}*.  On  the  same  night 
in  the  same  city,  in  a  modest  little  house  on  Kinzie  Street, 
Emma  Abbott  was  born,  and  although  heartily  welcome  was 
she,  the  first  daughter  of  the  Abbott  household,  the  parents  and 
brothers  little  dreamed  that  the  tiny  stranger  was  destined  to 
bring  them  wealth  and  luxuries  during  their  later  years,  and  to 
become  one  of  the  most  famous  singers  of  her  time. 

Almost  as  soon  as  she  began  to  lisp  the  simplest  words,  her 
parents  discovered  evidence  of  unusual  musical  talent,  which 
continually  became  more  apparent,  and  the  father  spared  no 
pains  in  its  development.  It  was  in  the  city  of  Peoria,  at  the 
age  of  eight  years  that  the  embiyo  star  gave  her  first  concert, 
to  an  audience  composed  of  her  father's  friends  in  his  office, 


Emm. i  Abboti  in   1873,  '74  and  75. 


Emma's  First  (  17 

and  among  the  listeners  were  a  number  who  even  then  predicted 
for  her  a  future  as  brilliant  as  Fortune  brought 

One  year  later  Emma  assisted  her  father,  <>r  be  her,  at  a 
concert  in  Edwards'  school-house  near  Peoria.  The  concert 
was  given  at  the  request  of  the  coal  miners  of  the  section, 
man}-  of  whom  were  employes  of  her  father.  No  admittance 
fee  was  charged,  but  the  delighted  iistenera  contributed  liber- 
ally, and  the  child  returned  home  with  her  pocket  well  filled 
with  coins,  quarters,  half  dollars  and  dollars. 

About  this  time,  although  so  young,  Emma  began  to  build 
air  castles  for  the  future,  her  one  longing  being  to  attain  tame 
in  her  chosen  calling.  Patti,  Kellogg,  Parepa  Rosa  and  Chris- 
tine Nihlsson  were  in  the  zenith  of  their  career,  singing  to 
crowded  houses  and  immense  receipts  wherever  they  appeared, 
and  Emma  daily  asked  herself,  '-Wiry  inay  not  I?"  replying 
always,   "I  can  and  I  will." 

She  attended  all  musical  entertainments  given  in  the  locality 
in  which  she  resided  ;  and  had  gained  information  regarding 
the  vocal  celebrities  of  the  world,  their  origin,  ambitions,  ef- 
forts and  results. 

Soon  after  Emma's  concert  a  musical  convention  was  held  in 
Peoria  by  singers  who  had  been  trained  by  Seth  Abbott.  The 
Cantata,  "Queen  Esther,"  was  the  piece  in  rehearsal  for  the 
grand  concerts  on  the  last  two  nights  of  the  convention,  and 
when  the  singers  were  well  versed  in  their  parts.  Mr.  Abbott 
secured  the  services  of  William  B.  Bradbury,  the  composer  of 
the  cantata,  and  one  of  the  greatest  instructors  and  composers 
of  sacred  music  in  the  country. 

Prof.  Bradbury  drilled  the  singers  in  advanced  vocalization, 
etc.,  and  during  an  afternoon  rehearsal  his  attention  was  at- 
tracted to  the  voice  of  the  youngest  singer  present,  a  child  of 
about  eleven  }-ears.  He  inquired  concerning  her  identity,  and 
when  told  she  was  the  daughter  of  Seth  Abbott,  replied,  "That 
accounts  for  it.  She  sings  as  a  lark  docs,  because  she  cm  i 
help  it,  and  she  sings  beautifully  too.  There  ish'1  another 
voice  in  the  room  that  compares  with  hers  in  possibilitii 


18  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

At  the  close  of  an  afternoon  rehearsal  he  introduced  himself, 
and  asked  her  to  sing  for  him  a  selection  of  her  own  choosing. 

She  complied  with  two  or  three  ballads,  among  them,  ' '  Old 
Folks  at  Home,"  giving  at  the  last  the  soprano  of  "  Hear  Me, 
Norma,"  and  "  I  Dreamt  that  I  Dwelt  in  Marble  Halls."  The 
great  leader  was  silent  for  a  moment,  then  said:  "My  dear, 
fortune  and  fame  are  sure  to  be  }*ours,  and  were  I  a  rich  man 
you  should  begin  preparations  to-morrow  to  go  abroad." 

Parepa  Rosa  had  heard  of  the  Peoria  musical  prodigy,  as 
Emma  was  often  denominated,  and  during  the  engagement  of 
the  former  in  that  city  sought  out  and  called  upon  the  family. 
She  listened  to  the  child's  singing,  gave  her  voice  the  usual 
tests  of  quality,  power,  etc. ,  and  encouraged  her  greatly.  She 
also  promised  future  aid,  assured  the  family  that  in  Emma 
there  was  "promise  of  a  great  artist;"  gave  them  tickets  for 
the  evening's  performance  and  left  the  house. 

To  the  committee  in  charge  of  her  concert  Parepa  Rosa  said, 
"  Emma  Abbott  will  be  heard  of  in  years  to  come  if  her  life  is 
spared.  Of  course  it  will  not  be  under  her  own  name,  but  I 
predict  for  her  a  famous  career,  and  indeed  the  idea  suggested 
itself  to  me  to-day  that  she  may  become  a  rival  of  my  own." 
Partly  right  and  partly  wrong ;  she  did  become  famous,  but 
did  not  relinquish  her  own  name.  Madame  Rosa,  however, 
had  been  called  from  earth  ere  Abbott's  real  preparation  for  the 
operatic  stage  began. 

Having  heard  of  a  Chicago  vocal  instructor  named  Mozart, 
Eiuma  visited  him  and  told  him  of  her  ambition  to  become  a 
public  singer.  Her  determination  coupled  with  her  modesty 
pleased  him,  and  he  afterward  said  to  her,  ' '  I  saw  before  30U 
had  talked  five  minutes  what  you  were  made  of,  and  before  3'ou 
had  sung  three,  I  knew  you  would  accomplish  whatever  you 
mis;ht  undertake. "  Her  voice  was  not  faultless,  being  at  times 
shrill  almost  to  unpleasantness,  but  she  sang  B  flat  without  an 
effort,  holding  it  as  firmly  as  she  would  have  done  F. 

She  possessed  even  then  a  decided  style  of  her  own  and 
which  she  carried  throughout  her  professional  career.      Mr.  G. 


Studies  in  Chicago  wider  Mozart.  L9 

W.  Felton.  present  manager  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph 
company  in  Chicago,   was  a  member  of  the  Bame  class,   and 

with  him  the  little  singer  sang  her  first  operatic  duet,  from  an 
old  Italian  opera,  "Oh  What  Seas;  What  Mountains."  Dur- 
ing the  time  she  remained  under  Mozart's  instruction,  Bhe  Bang 
on  several  occasions  in  public  :  at  one  of  which,  a  concert  in  a 
hall  at  the  corner  of  State  and  Washington  streets,  her  sinuin^ 
brought  down  the  house,  and  won  for  her  a  place  in  the  hearts 
of  Chicago  music  lovers,  which  she  has  since  retained  ;  and 
the  esteem  to  which  they  have  testified  by  crowded  houses  at 
her  every  subsequent  performance. 

During  all  her  earlier  public  appearances  Emma  accompanied 
herself  on  the  guitar,  of  which  she  was  a  skillful  manipulator  ; 
and  on  several  occasions  when  appearing  in  concert  programs, 
other  and  better  known  performers  were  rendered  exceedingly 
jealous  by  the  repeated  calls  for  ''The  little  girl  with  her 
guitar." 

Like  all  singers,  journalists,  authors  and  actors,  of  this 
country,  the  young  girl's  first  ambition  was  to  visit  New  York 
city  ;  and  long  did  she  plan  and  dream,  ere  dreams  ami  plans 
were  fulfilled. 

"When  with  her  father  she  visited  Chicago,  they  usually 
stopped  at  the  Sherman  House,  the  proprietor  of  which  was  an 
old  friend,  and  always  encouraged  the  little  singer  in  every 
possible  way.  On  numerous  occasions  the  spacious  dining 
room,  being  more  roomy  than  the  parlor,  was  (lea  nil  for  con- 
cert purposes,  and  there  large  audiences  have  listened  to  con- 
certs given  bj-  Seth  Abbott  and  his  talented  daughter. 

Of  course  no  admission  fee  was  asked,  the  audiences  being 
composed  entirely  of  guests  of  the  house  and  friends  <>t'  the 
proprietor,  but  the  voluntary  offerings  were  far  in  advance  of 
what  an  admittance  fee  would  have  brought,  and  some  of  her 
enthusiastic  admirers  betokened  their  admiration  by  a  contribu- 
tion of  five  dollars.  Among  those  who  listened  to  the  birdlike 
trills  and  warbles  of  the  young  girl  were  scores  who  have  uevei 
since  failed  to  hear  the  prima  donna  when  opportunity  occurred 


20*  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

During  one  of  her  early  visits  to  the  city,  while  with  her 
father  she  was  looking  about  the  streets,  they  met  an  old 
friend,  who  invited  them  to  make  his  house  their  home  during 
the  rest  of  their  stay.  The  invitation  was  accepted,  and  their 
host  and  hostess  opened  their  house  for  a  concert.  The  result 
was  a  plate  heaped  with  coins  of  gold  and  silver  for  the  little 
star. 

One  of  her  audience  on  that  occasion  was  a  railroad  manager, 
who  said  to  her,  "When  you  are  ready  to  go  to  New  York 
come  to  me,  and  I'll  give  you  a  pass. "  Thanking  him  cour- 
teously she  said,  "I'll  remember, "  and  when  after  a  few  months 
she  had  saved  enough  to  provide  herself  with  suitable  clothing, 
and  compensation  for  board  during  a  short  stay,  she  applied  for 
the  document,  and  a  round-trip  pass  was  given  her. 

While  in  the  city  she  sang  for  nearly  all  the  prominent  vocal 
teachers,  all  of  whom  acknowledged  at  once  her  superior  talent, 
but  none  were  sufficiently  generous  to  offer  to  teach  her  without 
extravagant  compensation. 

Her  youth,  modesty,  charming  voice,  and  her  evident  deter- 
mination to  adopt  the  first  honorable  means  of  preparing  herself 
for  the  stage  attracted  attention  and  greatly  interested  those 
who  met  her.  They  spoke  words  of  encouragement,  and  prom- 
ised if  she  should  come  to  the  city  to  prosecute  her  study  to 
aid  her  by  their  influence  and  as  far  as  practicable  with  money. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  C.  Lake  were  among  her  most  enthusiastic 
admirers  and  offered  her  a  home  in  their  family. 

The  stories  set  afloat  by  unscrupulous  reporters  and  copied 
by  hundreds  of  papers  under  the  impression  they  were  stating 
facts  regarding  the  extreme  poverty  of  the  Abbott  family  and 
Emma's  shabby  attire  are  without  a  shadow  of  foundation. 
Her  father  was  not  during  Emma's  girlhood  or  childhood  a 
wealthy  man,  neither  was  he  able  to  send  her  abroad  or  even  to 
New  York  to  pursue  her  musical  studies. 

But  the  family  never  knew  discomfort  as  her  father  earned 
sufficient  by  teaching  music,  giving  concerts,  and  some  small 
investments  to  provide  the  family  with  a  comfortable  home, 


Falsehood*  Corrected.  21 

good  food  and  ordinary  attire.  Indeed  there  were  compara- 
tively few  in  those  days  in  the  West  who  did  more.  Mi- 
Abbott  was  a  frugal  housewife,  possessed  of  excellenl  ta-t«- 
and  one  of  those  who  can  make  plain  attire  look  well;  hence 
Emma  was  always  neatly  and  tastefully  dressed,  as  all  who 
knew  her  personally  will  testify.  The  story  which  has  been 
widely  published,  that  she  went  barefoot  on  the  Btreets  and 
even  carried  her  shoes  in  her  hand  to  one  of  her  early  concerts 
is  as  false  as  that  of  her  shabby  attire,  and  justice  to  her  family 
demands  its  contradiction. 


CHAPTER    II. 


1FTER  returning  west  she  engaged  in  giv- 
ing music  lessons  to  small  classes,  singing 
in  public  "whenever  and  wherever  the  way 
opened,  and  in  1867  she  introduced  herself 
to  Clara  Louise  Kellogg  at  the  close  of 
a  performance  in  Toledo.  Miss  Kellogg 
kindly  consented  to  hear  her  sing,  and  when  she  had  told  of 
her  great  desire  to  study  and  fit  herself  for  the  stage,  kindly 
offered  to  give  her  letters  to  friends  of  influence  in  New  York ; 
also  to  intercede  in  person  for  her  with  Errani. 

It  was  the  remembrance  of  Miss  Kellogg's  kindness  in  listen- 
ing, when  wearied  with  a  difficult  program,  to  an  obscure 
young  girl,  and  she  a  stranger, — that  led  Miss  Abbott  never  to 
refuse  to  hear  a  young  girl  with  ambitions  for  the  future,  sing. 
She  was  alwa}-s  pleased,  too,  to  find  something  to  commend ; 
something  on  which  she  could  base  encouragement ;  but  she 
never  flattered ;  her  honest  opinion  was  kindly  given,  if  ad- 
verse, with  sorrow,  but  she  was  always  true. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  well  to  contradict  the  statement 
which  has  been  widely  published,  that  Miss  Kellogg  furnished 
the  money  with  which  Miss  Abbott  pursued  her  studies  in  New 
York.      On  the  contrary,  while  she  never  failed  to  accord  to 


Appears  at  a  Kellogg  Concert. 

Miss  Kellogg  duo  praise  for  her  kindness,  influence  and  encour- 
agement, which  were  in  their  way  more  than  money,  she 
never  under  financial  obligation  to  that  lady  other  than  for  tin- 
purchase  of   a  wardrobe  in  which   Emma   was    to   appear  for 
Kellogg's  benefit. 

The  outfit  she  carried  with  her  to  New  York  contained  all 
that  was  necessary  for  the  girl's  comfort  provided  by  an  indul- 
gent father,  planned  and  arranged  by  a  devoted  mother,  but 
their  circumstances  would  not  permit  an  opera  or  concert  toi- 
lette suitable  for  the  Metropolis.  This  lack  was  supplied  by 
Miss  Kellogg,  who  desired  Emma  to  appear  in  the  front  of  one 
of  the  most  conspicuous  boxes  at  a  Kellogg  concert,  and  adver- 
tised in  the  morning  dailies  that  "Emma  Abbott,  a  young 
warbler  from  the  west,"  would  so  appear,  and  mentioned  hi 
"Miss  Kellogg's  protege. "  As  Emma  was  an  advertised  feature 
of  the  concert,  a  drawing  card  appearing  solely  for  Miss 
Kellogg's  benefit,  that  lady  did  not  expect  her  (applying  as  she 
was  her  every  dollar  to  the  payment  of  her  tuition)  to  purchase 
an  elaborate  costume  for  the  evening,  but  supplied  it  partly 
from  her  own  wardrobe,  and  partly  by  purchase  from  a  New 
York  modiste. 

A  becoming  hat,  and  dress,  opera-cloak,  fan.  gloves  and 
boots  were  gi\en  her;  and  her  own  account  of  how  she  prome- 
naded back  and  forth,  then  posed,  assumed  various  facial  ex- 
pressions and  dramatic  attitudes  before  the  mirror,  talking  to 
herself  all  the  while,  is  highly  amusing.  Said  she.  "Were  I 
decked  in  a  gown  of  diamonds  set  in  gold,  with  mantle  of  bril- 
liants, I  would  not  feel  as  gorgeously  attired  as  I  did  then.  I 
never  sing  'Serpolette'  in  'Chimes  of  Normandy.'  thai  I  do  ool 
recall  the  amount  of  primping  I  did  that  night.  Yon  Bee,  I 
had  never  worn  quite  such  finery,  although  I  was  provided 
with  suitable  dresses  for  my  Western  concert  tour. 

"But  I  didn't  give  away  the  fact  that  it  was  anything  new  to 
me,  after  once  outside  my  door,      [nstead  I  fancj  my  aira 
plainly,    -This  is   nothing  extraordinary.       1    am    ver\    much   at 
home. ' " 


24  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

The  story  of  the  Illinois  girl's  advent  in  the  city,  her  ambi- 
tions, intentions,  and  bird-like  voice,  had  been  quite  generally 
circulated,  and  she  was  at  once  the  object  of  attention,  comment 
and  speculation.  At  the  close  of  the  performance,  a  friend 
remarked  to  her,  ' '  I  watched  the  audience  rather  than  the  per- 
formance, and  more  opera  glasses  were  directed  at  your  box 
than  at  the  stage. " 

For  the  outlay  made  by  Miss  Kellogg,  Abbott  more  than 
compensated  her  in  the  da}rs  of  the  latter's  prosperity,  gra- 
ciously acknowledging  to  Miss  Kellogg  and  to  the  world  her 
obligation.  To  her  friends  the  fact  was  apparent  that  while 
Miss  Kellogg  may  not  have  given  public  expression  to  a  feeling 
of  jealousy,  she  was  slow  to  accord  to  Miss  Abbott  the  praise 
that  was  due. 

During  the  season  of  '82  and  '83  George  Conley  was  one  of 
the  principals  of  the  Abbott  Company,  and  had  contracted  for 
another  season,  when  suddenly  for  some  reason  unknown  to 
Abbott  or  her  manager,  he  broke  the  contract  and  signed  with 
the  Kellogg  Concert  Company.  Before  the  season  opened 
Conle}r  met  his  death  by  drowning,  at  the  seashore,  leaving  des- 
titute an  aged  mother  who  for  years  had  been  dependent  upon 
him. 

The  sad  event  and  the  circumstances  attendant  upon  his 
death,  the  loneliness  and  dependent  condition  of  the  mother, 
were  uppermost  in  Miss  Abbott's  mind ;  and  forgetting  the 
broken  contract,  and  the  expense  and  annoyance  it  had  cost 
her,  remembering  only  that  for  two  years  Conley  had  served 
her  faithfully  and  well ;  she  headed  a  paper  with  a  munificent 
subscription,  and  calling  a  carriage  visited  her  personal  friends 
in  the  city,  asking  from  them  a  contribution  for  the  mother 
bereft  at  once  of  son  and  support.  She  appealed  to  none  in 
vain,  and  in  one  forenoon  secured  a  handsome  sum  which  by 
way  of  courtesy  she  forwarded  through  Miss  Kellogg. 

No  law  required  the  latter  to  say  to  Mrs.  Conley  or  to  the 
public,  that  the  money  was  raised  by  a  sister  artist,  but  it 
would  have  been  at  least  a  graceful  deed.      Miss  Abbott  never 


Emma    Vbbotl   in  "Mad  Scene"  from  Hamlet. 


Sings  o?i  a  Salary. 

doubted  that  Mrs.  Conley  received  the  money,  but  if  the  lady 
was  made  aware  of  the  fact  that  Abbott  headed  the  subscrip- 
tion, and  in  person  solicited  the  remainder,  she  never  signified 
such  knowledge  by  word  or  line.  Of  this  incident  .Mis-  Abbott 
said  a  few  months  before  her  death,  "  1  have  always  thought  it 
strange  that  Miss  Kellogg  should  seem  to  claim  the  credit  of 
raising  that  subscription,  and  it  certainly  did  seem  so;  for  if 
Mrs.  Conley  had  been  notified  of  the  origin  of  the  subscription, 
I  am  quite  sure  she  would  have  indicated  such  knowledge  by  a 
message  of  some  kind.  Still,"  said  she,  "I  care  only  because 
I  am  sorry  to  believe  that  Clara  Louise  entertains  tor  me  other 
than  the  kindest  feeling. " 

In  the  early  days  of  her  operatic  career  the  New  Fork  critics 
were  especially  severe  in  their  comments  on  Abbott's  vocal  and 
dramatic  work.  Among  the  number  was  Eli  Perkins,  and 
many  of  Miss  Abbott's  friends  gave  Miss  Kellogg  credit  for 
sharpening  the  Perkins  pencil,  and  that  his  newspaper  articles 
reflected  her  opinions  rather  than  his  own. 

The  ridiculous  part  of  the  affair  was.  that  while  the  critics 
through  the  press  declared  that  "Abbott  cannot  sing,"  she  was 
appearing  nightly  to  crowded  houses.  Indeed  the  New  Fork 
engagement  was  a  great  financial  success.  Al»hott  laughingly 
used  to  say,  "Either  the  New  Yorkers  possessed  horrid  taste, 
and  were  unable  to  distinguish  between  good  work  and  poor,  or 
else  the  critics  were  unduly  harsh  and  unjust  in  their  review 
my  singing.      Now,  which  was  it?" 

Soon  after  Emma  took  up  her  studies  in  New  York  city  Bhe 
was  engaged  as  soprano  in  the  choir  of  Dr.  Chapin's  church  of 
the  Divine  Paternity.  "While  acting  in  this  capacity  she  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  several  families  of  social  and  financial 
prominence;  who,  attracted  by  her  ingenuousness,  determination 
and  hopeful  disposition,  volunteered  to  her  their  friendship; 
which   she   ever   after   retained.      Among   these   were    Horace 

Note.— The  author  has  no  desire  to  do  Miss  Kellogg  the  slightest 
Injustice,  but  loving  Abbotl  as  a  sister,  she  cannot  refrain  from  the 
mention  of  what  seems  to  her  a  tendency  to  withhold   fromag* 
ous  woman  that  which  Is  her  due,  or  at  least  a  lack  of  courtesj  from 

one  artist  toward  another. 


26  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

Greely,  Matt.  Carpenter,  George  Hoffman,  C.  P.  Huntington, 
Henry  Ward  Beecher,  Col.  Robt.  G.  Ingersoll,  and  others. 
Her  home  was  in  the  family  of  Mr.  George  C.  Lake  (then  a 
millionaire  merchant),  the  members  of  which  became  so  fond 
of  her  that  when  she  left  them  to  go  abroad  they  relinquished 
their  right  to  her  only  temporarily ;  and  afterward  fitted  up  a 
suite  of  apartments  which  were  termed  the  "Abbott  suite," 
Here  the  prima  donna  and  her  husband  made  their  home  until 
the  sad  death  of  Mr.  Lake,  after  which  the  family  changed 
their  residence. 

Errani  was  at  that  time  the  best  vocal  instructor  in  America, 
and  Emma  became  his  pupil.  He  was  exceedingly  proud  of 
her,  took  great  interest  in  her  advancement,  and  never  lost  an 
opportunity  to  introduce  her  to  the  musical  talent  of  the  city. 
He  also  arranged  on  several  occasions  for  her  public  appear- 
ance in  conjunction  with  the  best  local  performers. 

While  pursuing  her  studies  under  Errani,  Emma  sang  on 
four  occasions  with  Ole  Bull,  the  world  renowned  violinist ; 
and  assisted  Miss  Kellogg  at  a  concert  at  Harlem.  On  this 
occasion  five  hundred  New  Yorkers,  admirers  of  the  Illinois 
songstress,  visited  Harlem,  and  at  every  appearance  their  fav- 
orite was  enthusiastically  cheered  and  persistently  recalled. 
Flowers  had  been  ordered,  and  the  singer  was  fairly  pelted 
with  bouquets,  while  a  shower  of  single  roses  of  every  color 
fell  around  her. 

This  was  one  of  the  triumphs  the  memory  of  which  lasted  as 
long  as  she  lived,  and  she  often  remarked,  "I  shall  always 
keep  a  corner  of  my  heart  sacred  to  the  memory  of  the  dear 
friends  who  went  up  to  Harlem  that  night  to  testify  to  their 
appreciation  of  my  efforts,"  and  added  with  a  sigh,  "Ah,  me! 
so  many  of  that  dear  company  have  passed  on  to  the  Great 
Beyond.  If  I  am  permitted  to  sing  in  Heaven  perhaps  they 
will  be  glad  to  welcome  me  there,  too. " 

Not  many  weeks  after  her  Harlem  appearance,  Emma  sang  at 
a  concert  given  for  a  Hebrew  charity  fund.  Selina  Dolaro 
(who  died  in  '89)  also  appeared  on  the  program ;   and  although 


Arranges  to  go  Abroad.  •_  7 

she  had  just  finished  her  studies  under  Marchesi  Cor  the  l'a- 
risian  Opera  stage,  she  acknowledged  the  young  Btndent  her 
peer.  A  friendship  soon  sprang  up  between  them,  and  in  the 
intervals  occupied  by  other  numbers,  Emma  plied  the  young 
Jewess  with  inquiries  regarding  the  work  of  a  student  abroad, 
their  mode  of  life,  etc.,  and  she  left  the  concert  hall  that  night 
mentally  "booked"  for  a  course  of  study  abroad 

The  proceeds  of  the  evening  were  more  than  two  thousand 
dollars.  Knowing  her  circumstances,  and  her  desires  for  the 
future,  three  wealthy  Hebrew  merchants  of  the  city  senl  her 
their  personal  checks  for  a  hundred  dollars  each  in  token  of 
appreciation  of  her  kindness  in  singing  for  the  charity.  Sin- 
sent  courteous  notes  of  thanks  and  acknowledgement,  bul  begged 
permission  to  add  the  sum,  8300,  to  the  fund  already  raised 

Even  prior  to  the  commencement  of  her  studies  in  New  York, 
Emma  had  determined  upon  going  abroad  to  complete  her 
musical  education.  How  this  was  to  be  accomplished  she  had 
no  idea,  still  her  purpose  was  fixed,  and  her  faith  that  ••  All 
things  come  to  him  who  waits,"  implicit. 

As  she  progressed  hrher  studies  under  Errani,  her  friend-  of 
Dr.  Chapin's  church  became  satisfied  that  their  protege*  was  the 
possessor  of  remarkable  talent,  and  the  wonderful  application, 
enthusiasm  and  hopefulness  with  which  she  studied  convinced 
them  that  with  proper  advantages,  she  might  attain  a  high 
position  in  the  musical  world. 

The  ladies  of  the  church  decided  upon  a  benefit  fund  and 
started  a  subscription  for  that  purpose,  which  soon  reached  the 
sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars.  Of  this  amount  .Messrs.  Cicely, 
Beecher,  Lake,  Huntington,  Hoffman  and  Carpenter,  gaveaboul 

one-half. 

Eugene  "Wethercll  also  contributed  liberally  to  the  fund 
which  was  to  eventually  return  to  him  many  hundred  told  , 
eivine  in  his  case  being  a  literal  casting  of  bread  upon  the 
waters  which  should  return  after  many  days. 

All  the  gentlemen  before  mentioned  had  greal  faith  in  the 
youn^  Western  girl.     At  one  time  Horaa    Greely  -aid  to  her, 


28  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

' '  We  always  enjoy  melody  and  sunshine  in  your  presence,  the 
melody  of  your  charming  voice,  and  the  sunshine  of  your 
disposition. " 

On  the  occasion  of  her  departure,  Rev.  Beecher  remarked, 
"I  have  but  one  fear  for  you,  my  dear,  and  that  is  not  failure 
in  the  fulfillment  of  }-our  ambition,  nor  for  your  virtue ;  but  I 
do  fear  that  3*0  ur  ambition  exceeds  your  strength,  and  that 
when  3'ou  reach  the  goal  of  your  heart's  desires,  you  will  find 
yourself  broken  down." 


CHAPTER     111. 


'HE  few  days  before  she  sailed  for  Europe 
were  made  pleasant  by  a  round  of  tails  and 
visits,  in  which  she  alternated  as  giver  and 
recipient.  There  were  many  tributes  paid 
to  her  talent,  heartfelt  kindnesses,  and 
wishes  for  a  pleasant  voyage,  assurances  oi 
a  bright  future,  souvenirs  of  love,  and  keepsakes,  which  were 
useful,  and  would  at  the  same  time  serve  as  reminders  of 
friendship.  There  were  dainty  and  necessary  accessories  to  her 
wardrobe,  gloves,  handkerchiefs,  slippers:  a  comfortable  «<'</- 
lige  gown;  warm  wrap  for  chilly  mornings,  a  protector  for  the 
throat  and  lungs,  all  provided  by  generous  hands  and  warm 
hearts. 

While  the  enthusiasm  which  characterized  all  her  later  under- 
takings rendered  her  anxious  for  the  day  of  departure,  her 
sensitive  nature  was  stirred  at  thought  of  taking  up  her  work 
in  a  strange  land,  in  the  midst  of  Btrange  environments]  and 
she  realized  fully  the  importance  and  difficulties  of  the  step  she 
was  about  to  take.  She  knew  then,  as  afterward,  that  bright 
futures  do  not  come  to  mortals,  hut  are  striven  for  and  bought 
at  cost  of  personal  sacrifice. 


30  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

*  *  *  The  good-byes  have  been  spoken ;  and  the  young 
girl  is  leaving  behind  her  home,  parents,  friends,  all  she  held 
dear  save  voice  and  ambition.  Going  to  her  destiny.  What 
will  it  be?  Will  the  gods  smile  or  will  they  darkly  frown? 
Will  success  reward  her  hours  of  study,  her  sacrifices,  and 
those  made  by  her  friends  in  her  behalf  ?  Only  God  knows, 
but  her  faith  in  Him  is  implicit.  She  has  seen  dark  hours,  but 
her  hopeful  spirit  never  failed  to  discern  the  silver  lining  to  the 
darkest  cloud.      *     *     * 

After  a  fortnight's  rest  in  Switzerland,  drinking  in,  as  it  were, 
inspiration  from  the  harmony  of  nature,  she  will  begin  the 
study  which  is  either  to  make  for  her  a  name  and  place  with 
the  world's  great  singers,  or  prove  her  ambitions  vain,  her  en- 
deavors fruitless. 

While  devoting  herself  to  the  study  of  music  in  New  York, 
her  versatile  tastes  led  her  to  seek  other  accomplishments,  some 
of  which  would  be  needful  in  her  profession,  others  necessary 
to  the  development  of  her  physical  strength  ;  hence  she  had 
been  a  pupil  at  the  natatorium,  fencing  class,  riding  and  rowing 
schools,  and  had  taken  lessons  on  the  drum  of  one  of  the  best 
drummers  in  New  York  city.  More  than  one  moonlight  even- 
ing had  found  her  one  of  a  boating  party  on  Long  Island 
Sound,  and  in  sculling  she  had  become  expert.  Her  figure  was 
slight,  but  among  her  acquaintances  she  had  become  noted  for 
her  strength.  Lithe  of  limb,  quick  as  a  kitten,  she  could  mount 
a  horse  like  a  farmer's  daughter,  and  run  like  a  professional. 

While  stopping  under  the  chaperonage  of  a  friend  at  Lake 
Geneva,  in  Switzerland,  she  attracted  the  notice  of  a  party  of 
twelve  English  ladies,  who  like  herself  were  on  a  tour  of  recrea- 
tion, and  who  having  been  bred  to  out-of-door  sports,  spent 
hours  each  day  in  rowing,  riding,  hunting,  etc.  Finally  Emma 
was  challenged  by  one  of  the  party  to  a  boat  race  and  promptly 
accepted.  The  guests  of  the  hotel  were  much  interested  in  the 
affair,  and  at  the  time  set  for  the  trial  the  pretty  little  lake  was 
well  dotted  with  boats  containing  spectators. 

When  the  signal  was  given  Emma  shot  ahead  of  the  English 


0  r  Couragi  and  Industry.  •"•! 

lady  a  boat-length,  and  maintained  her  lead  to  the  finish.      All 
though  none  were  more  Lavish  in  praise  of  her  skillful  man 
ment  of  the  oars  than  her  English  friends,  each  one  of  the 
party  challenged  her  until  the  twelve  were  beaten 

This  little  affair  proved  quite  an  advertisement  for  the  little 
American  stranger,  and  when  she  reached  Milan  the  Btory  of 
her  boat  races  had  preceded  her.  With  the  same  party  of 
ladies  she  made  an  ascent  of  the  Alps,  and  reached  a  point 
eighteen  feet  higher  than  that  ever  before  attained  except  by 
her  guide  companion.  The  spirit  of  courage  which  inspired 
this  attempt  was  characteristic  of  the  woman  as  of  the  child, 
not  however  resulting  always  in  reckless  daring  as  in  this  case, 
but  leading  her  to  attempt  difficult  things,  assnn-d  <>f  her  ability 
to  conquer.  Indeed  "Conquer  or  die"  was  her  motto.  In 
many  an  autograph  album  and  on  souvenir  bangles  of  gold  are 
inscribed  in  her  handwriting  or  fac  simile  these  words,  quoted 
from  a  song  her  father  sang  in  concerts  years  before  she  was 
born,  and  afterward  when  he  assisted  in  her  Illinois  concerts 
The  refrain,  "Conquer  or  Die,"  seemed  an  appropriate  motto 
for  one  with  so  many  obstacles  to  overcome,  and  yel  possessed 
of  such  strength  of  purpose. 

Emma  studied  in  Milan  for  some  months,  then  went  to  Paris 
as  the  pupil  of  Marchesi  and  Wartel  in  vocalization  and  Charles 
Fechter  in  dramatic  acting.  Here  too  it  became  accessary  to 
engage  a  teacher  of  languages,  as  French  is  the  society  language 
of  the  continent  and  Italian  is  indispensable  in  opera.  German 
was  taken  later,  when  less  time  was  necessary  for  other  matters 

Like  her  subsequent  life  every  hour  was  filled,  and  to  one 
with  less  self-control  such  a  strain  would  have  proven  disastrous 
But  she  possessed  then  as  later,  the  happy  faculty  of  closing 
her  eyes  and  mind  at  the  same  time  ;   and  of  becoming  as  com 
pletely  absorbed  in  a  recreative  role  as  in  her  work. 

While  Emma  was  studying  in  Paris,  Patti  sang  an  en 
ment  there,  and  the  young  student   went  night  after  night  to 
hear  her  sing.     She  also  sought  an  introduction,  bu1  was  re 
pulsed  and  told  that  Mme.  Patti  could  not  be  Been.     Finally 


32  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

she  decided  to  call  at  the  hotel,  and  her  modest  manners  quite 
won  the  doorkeeper  of  the  diva's  apartments,  and  the  visitor 
assured  him  that  she  had  a  secret  for  his  mistress. 

Patti  was  not  in  one  of  her  sunny  moods  on  that  occasion, 
and  as  her  little  visitor  entered  she  was  greeted  by  a  frown. 
Nothing  daunted  she  drew  from  her  pocket  an  ordinary  paper 
fan,  and  said,  "  Mme.  Patti,  will  you  please  to  write  your 
name  there?"  The  great  singer  snatched  a  pen  from  the  table 
and  wrote  her  name  in  the  place  indicated,  and  returned  the 
fan  to  its  owner  with  a  half  impatient  sigh. 

Emma  received  it  with  a  courtesy  and  kissed  the  autograph 
passionately  ;  then  said,  '  <  I  can  sing  a  little,  and  am  studying 
very  hard.  May  I  sing  just  a  few  notes  for  you?"  Patti 
nodded  assent,  and  her  visitor  began.  First,  four  lines  of  a 
simple  ballad,  then  snatches  from  Italian  songs,  and  Patti's 
heart  was  won.  "Sing  more,  something  else,"  she  said,  and 
the  performer  launched  into  operatic  snatches,  concluding  with 
"Last  Rose  of  Summer." 

"Here,  take  these  as  my  thank-offerings,"  said  Patti,  and 
took  from  her  ears  a  pair  of  exquisite  diamonds.  Then  taking 
her  pen  in  a  different  spirit  from  that  which  inspired  her  auto- 
graph, she  wrote  a  letter  to  Mapleson  heartily  commending  the 
stranger,  asserting  that  her  voice  possessed  extraordinary  possi- 
bilities, and  urged  the  impressario  to  find  a  place  for  her 
wonderful  talent. 

The  letter  concluded  and  placed  in  her  visitor's  hand,  she 
questioned  her  in  a  kindly  way  regarding  her  past,  her  plans 
for  the  future,  and  urged  her  if  at  any  time  she  needed  money 
or  influence  to  call  upon  her.  The  young  girl  thanked  her 
hostess  kindly,  kissed  her  hand  and  her  cheek,  and  departed. 
The  fan  and  ear-jewels  are  among  the  treasures  sacredly  kept 
by  the  prima  donna,  and  to  intimate  friends  she  told  the  story 
of  how  they  came  into  her  possession. 

Her  debut  was  made  as  Marie  in  "Daughter  of  the  Regi- 
ment," at  Convent  Garden  Theater,  London,  and  her  singing 
and  drumming  set  Londoners  wild.      Not  only  were  seats  held 


Abbott  as  Yum  Yum  in  Mil 


Abbott's  Debut  in  London. 

and  sold  at  a  premium,  but  aisles  and  foyer  were  packed  to  the 
doors,  and  a  shower  of  coins  and  flowers  fell  at  the  fair 
debutante's  feet,  when  she  responded  to  a  call  before  the  cur- 
tain.     Encore  followed    encore,  and  yet  the   audience  was  not 

satisfied.  Finally  a  voice  in  the  pit  called,  "Trot  out  tin-  little 
one  with  her  drum."'  When  she  appeared,  with  drumsticks 
beating  the  spirited  air.  her  head  inclined  coquettishly  to  one 
side,  and  her  feet  encased  in  military  boots,  marching  with  the 
precision  of  one  of  the  "Old  Guard,"  tin-  admiration  of  the 
house  found  vent  in  shouts.  Back  and  forth  Bhe  marched  in 
front  of  the  " drop, "  turning  at  the  end  of  the  Btage  and  re 
crossing  at  least  a  dozen  times. 

The  Londoners  were  extremely  kind  to  her.  and  although  the 
critics  found  much  to  condemn,  they  also  found  much  to  com- 
mend, and  at  the  close  of  the  first  week  she  felt  compensated 
for  all  her  study  and  self  denial.  Let  her  own  words  tell  the 
story  of  her  first  night's  triumph. 

'•The  crowds,  applause  and  encores  rather  dazed  me  (al- 
though I  was  not  a  victim  of  stage  fright),  and  I  went  through 
the  first  half  of  the  performance  almost  unconsciously.  Then 
I  warmed  up  to  business,  threw  my  soul  into  the  part,  and  1 
was  no  longer  Abbott  the  debutante,  striving  to  gain  a  footing 
on  the  operatic  stage,  but  Marie,  the  petted  child  of  the  sol- 
diers, following  the  French  flag  to  victory.  I  was  a  patriot, 
and  when  I  sang  the  famous  'Ode  to  France'  I  was  fairly 
inspired. 

"  When  the  curtain  was  rung  down,  the  house  became  dark 
and  quiet:  and  no  sound  reached  my  ears  save  the  call  of  one 
of  the  chorus  to  another,  'Are you  ready  to  go?1  the  reaction 
came  to  me.  I  asked  myself.  'Emma,  is  this  really  you  ? 
you  singing  in  London  ?  Is  it  a  dream  or  are  your  fond  hopes 
fulfilled?'  Oh,  dear!  how  homesick  1  was  for  a  few  minutes  ! 
I  cried  because  I  was  so  far  from  home,  because  none  who 
loved  me  were  near  to  see  that  1  had  tried  to  fulfil  their  anticl 
pations.  1  would  have  given  more  just  then  to  Bee  pa  and  ma, 
and  take  my  sister  in  my  arms,  than  for  the  praiseof  all  London." 


34  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

Of  the  costume  worn  as  Marie  she  was  very  fond,  and  carefully 
preserved  it  intact.  The  Zouave  jacket,  cap,  boots  and  brightly 
trimmed  short  skirt,  were  particularly  becoming  to  her  then 
girlish  figure,  and  accorded  well  with  the  coquettish,  saucy  air 
with  which  she  invested  the  role. 

Abbott's  next  operatic  success  was  in  Florence,  and  so  great 
was  the  delight  of  the  Florentines  with  her  acting  and  singing, 
it  seemed  as  if  the  program  would  never  end.  On  one  number 
she  was  recalled  twelve  times,  and  of  this  incident  she  said, 
"The  last  time  I  could  but  just  gasp,  but  the  audience  cheered 
as  loudly  as  if  I  were  in  perfect  voice." 

Only  once  did  she  give  offence  to  a  foreign  audience,  and 
that  was  by  the  interpolation  of  "  Nearer  My  God  to  Thee,"  in 
"La  Sonnambula,"  at  Milan.  At  this  the  Milesians  were 
greatly  incensed,  hissed,  and  uttered  violent  threats  ;  but  were 
at  last  pacified  by  the  manager,  who  came  before  the  curtain 
and  assured  the  audience  that  the  singer  had  no  intention  of 
offending,  and  humbly  begged  the  pardon  of  her  hearers  for  the 
seeming  disregard  of  the  time  and  place.  The  curtain  then 
rose,  not  on  the  next  act,  but  on  the  singer  alone  ;  who  in  her 
most  gracious  manner  warbled  several  old  Italian  love  songs, 
and  snatches  of  favorite  Italian  operas,  bowing  and  kissing  her 
hands  to  the  ladies  present ;  and  in  this  way  she  soon  gained  a 
hold  on  her  listeners  stronger  even  than  she  had  before  the 
trouble. 

When  she  felt  that  she  had  made  sufficient  amends  for  her 
transgression,  the  opera  was  continued,  and  her  every  appear- 
ance warmly  cheered.  In  recalling  the  incident,  she  laughingly 
remarked,  ' '  I  thought  I  was  in  for  it,  and  visions  of  all  the 
bloody  scenes  of  which  I  had  read  and  heard  as  occurring  in 
fair  Italy  passed  before  me.  I  just  said  to  myself,  'Em',  you 
have  had  a  close  call ;  learn  from  this  to  be  sure  your  interpola- 
tions are  suited  to  the  locality  in  which  you  sing,  even  though 
they  fail  to  accord  perfectly  with  what  goes  before  and  comes 
after.' " 

On  one  occasion  in  Paris  after  the  curtain  had  been  rung 


Sings  in  Paris. 

down  on  the  first  act  of  ••Linda  di  Chamouni,"  the  prima 
donna  was  called  before  the  curtain  and  the  audience  called 
loudly  for  a  song.  She  responded  with  Tin  Marseillaise.  The 
American  minister  with  a  party  of  friends  being  presenl  in  a 
box.  an  influential  French  politician  suggested  as  a  tribute  t«' 
them.  -The  Red,  White  and  Blue,"  and  at  its  close  there  was 
a  universal  call  for  "Star  Spangled  Banner."  The  Binger  gave 
all  four  stanzas  with  true  patriotic  fervor:  but  the  house  waa 
not  satisfied.  "Home,  Sweet  Eome,"  was  Loudly  called  tor, 
then  -Last  Rose  of  Summer."  By  this  time  managerial  pa- 
tience was  nearly  exhausted  :  the  stage  being  set  and  all  hut 
the  star  ready  for  act  II.  She  darted  through  the  win  us  into 
her  dressing  room,  made  a  lightning  change,  and  in  -i\  minutes 
was  again  on  the  stage  ready  to  proceed  with  her  part 


CHAPTER  IV. 


EFORE  going  to  London  Miss  Abbott  was 
asked  regarding  the  name  under  which  she 
intended  entering  the  profession.  ' '  I  shall 
assume  no  name,"  said  she,  "but  retain  my 
own. "  Her  teacher  remonstrated  with  her, 
saying  that  with  a  euphonious  title,  French 
or  Italian,  she  might  win  an  enviable  posi- 
tion in  opera,  but  as  plain  Emma  Abbott,  never! 

Her  reply  was,  ' '  My  good  father  and  mother  have  found  the 
name  good  enough  for  all  social  and  business  purposes  ;  I  came 
by  it  honestly,  and  so  far  as  my  family  are  concerned  it  has 
never  known  a  stain ;  I  am  proud  of  it,  and  if  I  ever  attain  a 
reputation  or  fame  in  my  profession  it  will  be  as  plain,  unvar- 
nished Emma  Abbott;  rather  than  under  some  jaw-breaking, 
ear-splitting  nom  du  theatre.'" 

The  Mapleson- Abbott  contract  was  for  five  years,  but  almost 
from  the  first  Miss  Abbott  felt  somewhat  dissatisfied,  and  fearful 
that  something  would  occur  to  bring  about  a  cancellation.  Not 
that  she  submitted  ungraciously  to  authority;  her  life  had  already 
been  too  well  disciplined  for  that,  but  Mapleson  was  autocratic, 
t}Tannical,  and  gave  his  orders  like  a  monarch.  Indeed  his 
opinion  was  law,  and  all  who  held  the  opposite  lacked  sense. 
His  sarcasm  was  at  times  almost  unendurable. 


Her  tilt  with   G 

The  first  unpleasantness  between  Bliss  Abbott  and  bin  - 
-was  in  regard  to  the  interpolation  of  a  s..nLr  in  one  of  her  op 
Miss  Abbott  considered  it   tit  only  for  the  variety    Btage  and 
positively  declined  to  sing  it.      It  was  a  pet  idea  of  Maples* 
and  would  have  drawn  a  heavy  gallery  audience;  bu1   as  the 
contract  was  for  Italian   opera   he   could   uot    compel  her   to 
accede  to  his  request     She  stated  her  objections  in   ladylike 
terms,  and  when  she  had   concluded,    Mapleson  remarked,  "If 
you  are  so  good,  so  very  good,  you  should  have  taken  the  veil, 
and  ought  to  be  Mother  Superior  in  some  nunnery  instead   of 
trying  to  acquire  a   position  in  opera. "     Soon  after  this  came 
the  tilt  with  Gye,  who  was  Mapleson's  stage  manag 

Miss  Abbott  became  Mrs.  Wetherell  in  1875  while  Binging  in 
Loudon.  Mr.  "Wetherell  always  declared  lie  fell  in  love  with 
Abbott's  voice  before  he  ever  saw  her  face,  and  that  from  the 
hour  he  first  heard  her  sing  he  determined  to  make  her  his  wife. 
Their  marriage  was  kept  a  secret  from  all  but  the  Abbott  house- 
hold for  nearly  two  years,  and  the  secret  would  have  been 
longer  maintained  had  it  not  been  for  managerial  Insolence. 

Miss  Abbott  possessed  peculiar  and  decided  opinions  regard- 
ing right  and  wrong,  and  when  once  fixed  naught  could  move 
her.  She  knew  that  the  usual  character  given  to  Camille  was 
that  of  a  wanton  who  was  wicked  simply  because  she  loved  sin  . 
and  she  despised  the  role.  Finally  she  was  cast  for  Violetta  in 
Traviata — the  musical  version  of  Camille — and  emphatically 
refused  to  appear  in  the  part.  Her  manager  stormed  ami  in- 
sisted, she  coolly  but  persistently  refused,  and  when  al  last 
managerial  stubbornness  became  too  marked  appealed  to  her 
friend  Wetherell  who  interposed  in  her  behalf. 

"Pray  what  have  you  to  say  regarding  the  matter,  you  Yan- 
kee upstart,"  said  the  an  Lrry  manager.  "Simply  this,  sir,  n 
plied  the  young  New  Xbrker;  •  I  am  Emma  Abbott's  husband ; 
and  when  she  says  to  you  she  will  not,  I  saj  to  you  she  shall 
not."  This  refusal  to  sing  a  role  she  considered  Immoral  cost 
the  singer  a  three  years' contract  she  had  signed,  but,  although 
not  so  intended,  ii  proved  a  bit  of  valuable  advertising,  and 


38  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

won  for  her  hundreds  of  friends  who  did  not  hesitate  to  com- 
mend in  the  highest  terms  a  3Toung  woman  who,  in  the  begin- 
ning of  her  career,  voluntaril}T  sacrificed  money  rather  than 
principle.  Years  after  "Traviata"  became  a  part  of  Miss  Ab- 
bott's repertoire,  but  her  Violetta'  was  alwa3Ts  the  woman  who 
would  be  good,  who  appealed  to  society  to  aid  her,  and  who 
sacrificed  her  love  to  save  a  heart-broken  father  from  despair. 

Miss  Abbott  returned  to  New  York  soon  after  the  cancella- 
tion of  her  engagement  with  Mapleson ;  and  although  her 
friends  were  greatly  surprised  at  the  revelation  brought  about 
by  her  dispute  with  that  gentleman,  that  she  had  been  for  two 
years  a  wife  ;  she  was  warmly  received,  and  the  church  parish 
which  had  so  kindly  aided  her,  tendered  her  a  grand  social  re- 
ception. They  were  delighted,  too,  at  the  stand  she  had  made 
for  principle,  although  regretting,  of  course,  the  fact  that  she 
was  thereby  a  financial  loser. 

Arrangements  were  at  once  made  for  a  concert  for  the  benefit 
of  the  parish  poor,  and  the  church  missions,  and  although 
tickets  were  placed  at  ten  dollars  each,  the  proceeds  of  the  en- 
tertainment reached  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  This  proved  a 
great  advertisement,  and  within  a  fortnight  the  prima  donna 
received  numerous  flattering  offers  from  managers  both  in 
Europe  and  America. 

The  hopeful  little  woman  had  occasional  periods  of  anxiety, 
for  the  cancellation  of  her  European  engagement  was  a  sad 
blow  to  her.  But  the  alternative  was  a  sacrifice  of  principle, 
and  to  that  she  would  not  submit.  Anxiety  was  succeeded  by 
insomnia  and  this  supplemented  by  a  severe  cold,  resulted  in  a 
temporary  paralysis  of  the  vocal  chords,  and  she  awoke  one 
morning,  about  six  weeks  after  her  return  to  New  York,  unable 
to  speak  aloud.  Her  husband  was  greatly  alarmed,  and  her 
immediate  friends  feared  the  loss  of  voice  might  prove  perma- 
nent. The  press  eager  then  as  now  for  the  latest,  whether  false 
or  true,  greatly  exaggerated  her  bronchial  affection  and  the  tel- 
egram "  Abbott  will  sing  no  more,"  was  sent  east,  west,  north 
and    south.      The   most   skillful    treatment  New  York  boasted 


Me<  ts  tJu    I!  .  ild. 

was  volunteered  her,  and  in  a  fortnight  the   disease    yielded. 

Two  weeks  later  not  a  vestige  of  the  trouble  remained,  and  the 
star  of  hope  again  beamed  brightly. 

The  story  that  Miss  Abbott  awoke  one  morning  in  London 
moneyless  and  voiceless  and  in  her  desperation  cabled  her  lover 
to  come  at  once,  then  went  to  the  Baroness  Rothschild  to  beg 
assistance  in  securing  medical  treatment  until  the  arrival  of  her 
lover,  is  a  very  romantic  one,  but  like  many  romances  contains 
no  element  of  truth. 

That  Mr.  Wetherell  visited  his  sweetheart  on  several  occa- 
sions during  her  stay  abroad,  is  true.  That  Baroness  Rothschild 
generously  betokened  her  admiration  of  the  young  girl  student 
is  also  true,  but  neither  event  is  in  any  way  associated  with 
her  loss  of  voice,  and  the  assertion  that  Mi>s  Abbott's  enforced 
silence  lasted  for  months,  that  the  best  medical  talent  in 
Europe  failed  to  aid  in  any  degree  her  recovery,  is  without 
foundation. 

In  fact  Miss  Abbott  suffered  but  one  serious  attack    dm 
all  her  stud}-  abroad,  and  that  was  of  short  duration.      She  was 
wonderfully  free  from  attacks  of  sore  throat,  hoarseness,  etc. 
which  are  the  usual  accompaniments  of  musical  study  ami 
cal  practice. 

At  a  soiree  given  by  the  pupils  of  Marchesi,  Emma's  voice 
and  acting  attracted  the  attention  of  Baroness  Rothschild,  and 
she  sought  an  introduction  which  was  brought  about  through 
a  Mrs.  Perkins,  a  mutual  friend  and  charming,  accomplished 
lady,  who  still  resides  in  Paris,  and  was  to  the  last,  one  of  the 
singers  favorite  friends. 

On  the  day  following  the  soiree  tin-  Baroness  called  on  the 
girl  student,  and  invited  her  tosing  at  the  Rothschild  home  too 
few  invited  guests.  Among  the  latter  were  a  daughter  of 
Queen  Victoria,  Lord  Beaconsfield,  and  other  celebrities,  most 
of  them  Londoners  visiting  the  French  capital. 

So   pleased    were   Hie   -nets   and    their  distinguished    hostess 

with  the  singing  of  the  young  American  girl  that  at  her  depart 
ure  the    Baroness    placed    within    her   hand  a  check    tor  two 


40  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

thousand  francs.  A  week  later  she  called  again  on  the  young 
student,  presented  her  with  a  diamond  necklace  of  great  value, 
and  extended  the  freedom  of  her  home,  asking  the  singer  to 
brighten  it  with  her  presence  as  often  as  her  duties  would  per- 
mit ;  indeed,  to  consider  it  a  home  which  she  was  free  to  enter 
whenever  so  inclined. 

About  this  time  Miss  Abott  was  attacked  by  the  single  spell 
of  hoarseness  before  mentioned,  and  her  new  friend  the  Baron- 
ess in  great  alarm  urged  her  to  consult  one  of  the  most  noted 
of  Parisian  physicians,  offering  to  defray  the  expense  of  con- 
sultation and  treatment.  For  a  few  days  her  case  did  seem  se- 
rious, but  true  to  her  sunn}'  nature  Emma  never  lost  heart. 

Of  this  affliction  she  said,  ' '  I  believe  my  Heavenly  Father  in- 
tended me  to  sing  my  way  through  the  world,  and  I  have  faith 
in  His  purpose  to  restore  my  voice."  Piestoration  came  soon, 
under  skillful  treatment,  although  reports  place  this  interval  of 
silence  at  months. 


Abbott  and  Castle  as  Romeo  and  Juliet.  -  Balcom  Scene 


CHAPTEB  V. 


BE    story  that    the    firsl    Mapleson-Abbott 
"tilt"  was  because  the  latter  refused  to  wear 

"tights''  upon  which  her  manager  insisted, 
is  untrue.  She  did  nol  especially  object  to 
tights.  During  an  interview  with  the  Btar 
on  the  occasion  of  her  last  presentation  of 
her  double  bill,  Masked  Ball  and  "Mad  Scene  from  Hamlet. 
she  said,  "I  never  would  have  worn  tights  had  my  husband 
objected,  but  he  did  not,  except  on  accountof  their  tendency  to 
impede  circulation.  Mr.  Wetherell  always  maintained  that  a 
woman  may  wear  tights  as  modestly  as  her  ordinary  attire, 
while  others  are  suggestive  in  manner  n<>  matter  li<>w  modesl 
their  apparel. 

"I  noticed  however  that  when  I  first  donned  them  he  used  fre- 
quently to  happen  around  in  the  Coyer  and  gallery,  and  had  he 
ever  heard  evil  remarks  concerning  me  would  have  stricken 
from  my  repertoire  all  roles  thai  necessitated  costuming  in 
tights.     This  is  one  of  the  beauties  of  being  managed   by  one's 

own  husband.  Another  man  would  have  consulted  only  hie 
purse,  and  have  been  indifferent  regarding  whal  was  said  of  his 
star.  Indeed,  I  think  some  managers  rather  relish  mean 
speeches  as  a  means  of  advertising. " 


42  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

At  the  conclusion  of  her  engagement  with  Mapleson,  Abbott 
sang  one  year  at  the  head  of  a  concert  troupe,  and  the  next 
year  was  organized  The  Abbott  English  Opera  Co.  with  Hess  as 
manager  and  Eugene  Wetherell  as  assistant  manager.  With 
her  were  Madame  Zelda  Seguin  and  husband;  the  former  as 
contralto,  the  latter  as  tenor.  After  the  death  of  her  husband, 
Mme.  Seguin  married  Wallace,  but  remained  a  year  longer  with 
Abbott. 

Then  came  Castle,  Tom  Karl,  and  Taglipietra;  the  latter 
from  Mapleson's  Italian  opera  company,  and  both  of  the  former 
noted  as  connected  with  the  famous  production  of  Paul  and 
Virginia,  and  Romeo  and  Juliet.  Stories  of  the  "  Abbott  kiss," 
have  been  told  the  world  over,  and  Abbott's  Mikado  was  famous 
for  the  same  oscillatory  exercises  between  Koko  and  Yum  Yum. 

Both  Castle  and  Karl  were  in  their  palmy  days  when  singing 
the  lover  to  Abbott's  sweetheart ;  and  although  neither  they  nor 
yet  the  prima  donna,  had  attained  the  finished  vocalization  of 
later  years,  they  never  have  afforded  greater  actual  pleasure  to 
their  large  audiences,  than  when  the  bo3'S  were  the  envy  of  half 
the  beaux  of  the  United  States,  and  Abbott  the  idol  of  all  the 
belles. 

Although  at  the  outset  the  financial  means  at  Wetherell 's 
command  were  sufficient  for  ordinary  mercantile  transactions 
even  in  the  metropolis,  they  were  meager  for  the  new  under- 
taking. Miss  Abbott  never  made  the  very  common  mistake  of 
endeavoring  to  render  her  own  talent  more  conspicuous  by  em- 
ploying poor  support,  and  her  pay  roll  at  the  beginning  was  a 
heavy  one. 

She  gained  the  confidence  of  the  public,  of  those  who  assisted 
her  financially,  and  every  member  of  her  company,  by  dis- 
charging her  obligations  when  due;  although  she  was  at  times 
compelled  to  borrow  again  to  do  so;  and  discharge  of  obligations 
often  meant  transference  of  the  same.  To  her  honor  be  it  said 
that  no  pay  day  ever  passed,  on  which  every  member  of  her  com- 
pany was  not  paid  in  full;  a  record  which  few  theatrical  or 
operatic  organizations  can  boast. 


Reception  on  th,   Pacij     < 

The  pleasing  voice  and  manners  of  the  operatic  Btar,  and  Uer 
sympathetic  nature  seemed  at  once  to  attract  towards  her  tin- 
hearts  of  the  public.  She  was  from  the  first  very  popular,  and 
after  the  first  year  there  were  many  who  watched,  waited  and 
longed  for  her  annual  appearance,  as  for  thai  of  an  old  friend 

Especially  -was  this  true  of  the  West,  Northwest  and  South, 
where  Miss  Abbott  became  almost  the  idol  of    her  audiei 
On  the  occasion  of  her  first  visit  to  San  Francisco  she  received 
ten  thousand  dollars  as  the  first  week's   profits,  and  during  an 
engagement  of   sixteen  nights  the  standing-room  sign  was 
played  at  every  performance.      All  along  the   Pacific  coast    the 
company  met  the  same  flattering  receptions,  and  it  was  a  matter 
of    regret  that  they  did  not  visit  the  Western  Slope  each  suc- 
ceeding year.     The  trip,  or  part  of  it  was  distasteful  to   M  — 
Abbott,    and  although  she  received  many  excellent  guaranl 
accepted  no  other,  until  the  visit  during  which   Mr.  Wetherell 
died. 

In  its  earliest  days  the  company's  repertoire  was  not  a  large 
one,  but  comprised  the  most  popular  operas.  Tins,,  were 
Daughter  of  the  Regiment.  Romeo  and  Juliet.  Paul  and  \ 
ginia,  Chimes  of  Normandy.  Bohemian  Girl,  Sonnambula. 
Martha  and  Traviata.  Each  year,  however,  new  operas  were 
added,  and  while  the  company  was  rehearsed  in  the  new  until 
they  reached  the  point  of  public  presentation.  the\  were  also 
reviewed  in  the  older  operas;  new  business  added,  popular 
songs  interpolated,  etc.,  so  that  if  by  request  they  wished  to 
change  a  weeks'  repertoire  they  were  able  to  do  bo  without  em 
barrassment,  and  at  the  same  time  give  their  audiences  some- 
thing new;  not  always  the  time-worn  opera  in  a  stereotyped 
manner. 

A.s  soon  as  one  season's  work  ended,  Miss  A.bbot1  was  ofl  for 
Europe;  consulting  authorities  regarding  additions  to  her  repei 
toire,  and  making  selections  therefor.  This  question  decided, 
she  turned  her  attention  to  staging  and  costuming  the  Bame, 
perfecting  arrangements  Cor  properties,  and  consulting  Worth 
and  Felix  regarding  Buitable  Btyles    materials,  etc.,    not   only 


44  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

for  her  own  attire  but  for  that  of  every  member  of  her  company, 
so  that  when  she  returned  to  this  country  she  knew  every  detail 
connected  with  the  presentation  of  her  newly  selected  operas. 

When  all  the  costumes  and  properties  which  were  to  be  pur- 
chased abroad  were  decided  upon,  and  work  thereon  had  begun, 
the  songbird  settled  down  to  a  most  rigid  course  of  study  and 
drill  under  the  best  musical  and  dramatic  teachers  of  the  old 
world.  Thus  while  others  of  her  profession  were  recreating  at 
Long  Branch,  Saratoga,  and  Newport,  or  making  a  pleasure 
tour  of  the  continent,  Emma  Abbott  might  always  have  been 
found  absorbed  in  planning  for  her  next  season's  appearance,  or 
engaged  in  the  most  enthusiastic  and  earnest  study. 

To  the  practice  of  study  during  the  time  enjoyed  by  other 
singers  as  vacations,  ma}-  be  attributed  the  wonderful  advance- 
ment made  by  Abbott  and  her  company,  while  others  were  con- 
tent with  the  same  old  repertoire  year  after  year  with  no  visible 
improvement. 

When  Abbott  bought  out  Hess'  interest  in  the  company  of 
which  she  was  the  head,  she  became  possessed  also  of  the  cos- 
tumes of  the  old  company.  These  were  used  only  while  econ- 
omy demanded,  then  were  succeeded  by  the  first  of  those 
charming  and  tasteful  costumes  for  which  the  prima  donna  and 
her  associates  were  noted. 

She  abhorred  sham  wherever  it  appeared,  and  no  shams  were 
permitted  on  the  Abbott  stage  or  in  the  dressing  rooms.  Of 
course  there  was  always  the  "  makeup,"  without  which  a  stage 
presentation  is  impossible,  but  there  was  none  of  the  shabby- 
genteel,  gold-and-silver-paper-splendor,  or  glazed  muslin  ele- 
gance which  usually  characterizes  the  wardrobe  of  opera  chorus 
singers. 

As  her  means  increased,  she  expended  more  and  more  in 
costuming  her  operas  elegantly,  and  during  the  last  five  years 
no  company,  either  in  this  country  or  Europe,  has  been  so  ele- 
gantly or  expensively  costumed.  In  addition  to  their  elegance, 
the}'  were  always  historically  correct ;  a  fact  which  often  caused 
the  designer  weeks  of  research,  and  necessitated  great  expense. 


Adda  "Yum  Yum  "  to  her  R 

There  were  few  fines  Levied  upon  members  of  the  Abbott  com- 
pany, and  not  one  ever  imposed  or  paid  without  her  full  km 
edge  of  the  entire  affair  in  detail.    Thisfact  proves  the  saying  that 
that  company  is  best  disciplined  which  has  the  leas!  discipline. 

Miss  Abbott  had  an  eye  on  every  department  of  her  busim 
While  she  employed  business  and  stage  managers,  she  placed 
rather  than  left  her  affairs  in  their  hands,  and  sin-  knew  at  all 
times  exactly. how  her  business  stood.  She  personally  superin- 
tended all  rehearsals,  dictated  the  costumes,  properties,  etc., 
and  yet  never  seemed  to  interfere  with  the  duties  she  assigned 
to  others,  nor  did  she  without  excellent  reasons  release  any  <>nc 
from  the  responsibilities  laid  upon  him. 

When  "The  Mikado"  was  first  presented  in  London,  Abbott, 
after  witnessing  two  or  three  performances,  decided  that  it 
would  catch  the  American  taste  for  comic  opera,  and  at  once 
made  preparation  to  secure  the  exclusive  American  rights.  In 
this,  however,  she  was  disappointed,  as  Sydney  Rosenfield  and 
one  or  two  others  had  anticipated  her,  and  were  already  re 
hearsing  the  opera  in  New  York  and  Chicago. 

On  the  principle  that  a  half  loaf  is  better  than  none,  she 
concluded  arrangements  for  its  production,  and  after  spending 
much  money  and  time  in  making  costumes,  etc.,  correct,  sin- 
returned  and  began  rehearsals,  and  although  l>\  the  time  the 
Abbott  company  began  their  season.  Mikado  had  been  mur- 
dered by  a  score  of  methods,  no  presentation  equaled  thai  of 
the  Abbott  company,  either  in  splendor  of  stage  setting,  dainti- 
ness of  costumes,  or  vocalization.  Abbott,  with  her  plump 
figure,  made  an  ideal  Yum  Yum  .  Montegriffo  Bang  and  acted  the 
love-sick  Nanki-poo  to  perfection  ;  Walter  Allen  was  positively 
the  funniest  Koko  ever  seen  (he  Bang  a  creation  of  bis  own) ; 
and  if  all  Japan  could  reveal  an  uglier  Katisha  than  Lizzie 
Annandale's  creation,  it  certainly  didn't 

Just  at  that  time  "Erminie"  became  the  rage  and  although 
it  was  not  considered  of  sufficient  merit  to  hold  a  place  in  the 
company's  repertoire,  the  gem  of  the  opera,  the  "Lullabj 
Song,"  was   often    interpolated    in  their  rendering  of  the  Mi 


46  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

kado.  For  several  seasons,  after  other  companies  had  been 
compelled  to  shelve  Mikado  on  account  of  its  non-drawing 
qualities,  wherever  the  Abbott  company  opened  for  a  week  it 
was  by  request  presented  at  least  once  during  the  engagement. 

As  presented  by  the  Abbott  company  ' '  Crispino,  or  King 
for  a  Day,"  was  received  with  great  applause,  and  the  transition 
from  Gretchen,  the  market  woman,  to  queen,  was  capitally 
portrayed  by  the  star.  Arrayed  in  a  gown  of  rose-colored 
crepe  and  black  velvet,  the  latter  revealing  in  all  their  beauty 
her  plump  arms  and  shoulders,  with  magnificent  gems  glitter- 
ing at  throat,  wrist,  ears,  on  her  fingers,  and  in  her  hair ;  she 
looked  every  inch  the  Queen  she  played.  Her  portrayal  of 
disgust  at  being  compelled  to  part  with  all  this  splendor  was 
irresistibly  funny.  The  exhausting  nature  of  the  ballet  the 
presentation  imposed  upon  Miss  Annandale,  was  the  chief  rea- 
son of  the  withdrawal  from  the  stage. 

Abbott's  Leonora  and  Annandale's  Azucena  became  famous 
everywhere,  and  no  week's  engagement  ever  passed  without  one 
presentation  of  Trovatore,  and  it  usually  occurred  on  Thursday 
night.  The  costumes  purchased  for  the  Trovatore  of  '90  and 
'91  were  the  most  magnificent  ever  worn  in  that  opera,  and  in 
style  were  exact  reproductions  of  the  Fifteenth  century.  A 
mantle  known  as  the  Surprise,  was  designed  and  made  by 
Worth  ;  and  the  material — a  heavy  white  brocade — woven-  at 
Lyons,  especially  for  that  purpose.  The  mantle  was  fitted  to 
the  figure  like  a  princess  dress,  with  a  long  court  train  over 
which  was  a  circular  cape  reaching  the  knees.  It  was  lined 
throughout  with  heavy  corn-colored  satin,  and  edged  by  a  deep 
border  of  ostrich  tips  of  the  same  shade.  A  magnificent  rope 
and  tassels  of  pearl  and  gold  beads  fastened  the  mantle  at  the 
throat  and  hung  to  the  knees.  Strings  of  pearls  and  gold-lined 
beads  hung  from  the  throat  to  the  knees,  imparting  an  effect  at 
once  unique  and  brilliant. 

The  gown  worn  with  this  mantle  was  a  white  brocade  com- 
bined with  corn-colored  velvet,  and  trimmed  to  match  the  wrap. 
Another  Trovatore  gown  was  of  lemon  yellow  satin  beautifully 


Elegant  Tromt&Ti   Costumes.  47 

embroidered  in  a  wheal  design  in  tiny  jel  beads.  The  mourn- 
ing costume  worn  while  Manrieo  is  in  prison  is  of  black  brocade 
velvet,  heavily  jetted,  and  with  this  dress  is  worn  one  ol  the 
lace  mantillas  which  Spanish  dames  affect  so  gracefully.  The 
Trovatore  "character  gown  "  or  the  one  bearing  the  colors  and 
crest  of  the  House  of  Trovatore  is  the  Lion  dress  of  crimson, 
white,  black  and  gold,  in  satin  and  velvet  The  petticoal  is  of 
red  with  arabesque  design  in  black  and  gold.  The  skirt  and 
train  proper  is  of  white  satin  with  border  of  gold  embroidery, 
and  loops  high  on  the  left  side  to  disclose  an  immense  Lion  ram- 
pant. The  corsage  is  low,  with  antique  sleeves,  on  each  of 
which  is  a  lion  rampant.  This  is  one  of  the  most  gorgeo 
the  entire  Abbott  wardrobe. 

Mr.  Wetherell  always  watched  anxiously  from  the  front,  the 
presentation  of  anew  opera;  and  the  curtain  no  Booner  rang 
down  on  the  first  act  than  he  was  behind  the  scenes  making  Bug 
gestions  for  some  needed  improvement.  At  the  initial  perform- 
ance of  a  new  opera  some  years  since  the  star's  role  required  that 
she  appear  in  the  dress  of  a  small  boy  with  broad  knee  trousers, 
ruffled  shirt  front,  jacket,  Kossuth  hat  and  feather,  and  armed 
with  bow  and  arrow.  It  was  her  first  appearance  in  boys 
clothes,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  one  accustomed  to  either 
massive  trains,  peasant  costumes,  or  tights,  with  all  the  feminine 
paraphernalia  which  usually  accompanies  the  latter,  should  feel 
somewhat  awkward  in  the  new  attire,  and  her  embarrassmenl 
was  decidedly  apparent  from  the  front. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  first  act  the  fond  husband  and  man- 
ager flew  to  his  wife's  dressing  room  with,  "For  mercj  >  Bake, 
Em,  brace  up  and  drop  the  endeavor  to  gel  behind  yourself." 
"Oh,  'Gene, "  was  the  plaintive  reply,  -1  feel  bo  awkward; 
just  look,"  and  she  bent  forward  to  inspeel  her  broad  trousers 
"They  are  long  the  wrong  way.  and  when  I  courtesy  I  haven'!  a 
skirt  to  lift  or  even  a  tunic  of  Lace  to  manipulate  Mr  Weth 
erell  dived  deep  into  the  mysteries  of  a  huge  trunk,  bringing  oul 
a  court  mantle  and  sword,  which  he  adjusted  to  hisown  satisfac 
tion  and  the  star's  comfort  before  the  curtain  again 


CHAPTER    VI. 


Wm4  [ 

pS^^-l^  the  list  of  those  who  have  served  at  different 
|  times  as  principals  of  the  Abbott  Opera  Com- 
t  pany  are  the  familiar  names  of  Castle,  Tom  Karl, 
|  Fabrini,  Appleby,  Richard  Karl  and  Signor 
Michelena,  tenors  ;  Broderick,  Conley,  Tagliepie- 
tra,  Campebello  and  Walter  Allen,  bassos  ;  Wil- 
liam Praette,  baritone  ;  Zelda  Seguin,  Myrell,  and  Lizzie  Annan- 
dale,  contraltos  ;  Madame  Rosewald,  Marie  Hindel,  Laura  Bel- 
ini.  Nina  Bertini,  Helene  Bertram  and  Myra  Mirella,  sopranos. 
Of  those  serving  longest,  and  becoming  most  popular  on  ac- 
count of  association  with  the  prima  donna  in  her  most  brilliant 
performances  aad  favorite  roles  are  Castle,  Tom  Karl,  Pruette, 
Broderick,  Michelena  and  Annandale.  As  noted  elsewhere, 
Castle  and  Tom  Karl  became  popular  in  connection  with  the 
production  of  Romeo  and  Juliet,  and  Paul  and  Virginia.  Pru- 
ette is  one  of  the  finest  baritones  in  the  country,  and  his 
Plunkett  in  "Martha"  is  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  roles  in 
English  opera.  Indeed,  it  has  never  been  equalled  in  this 
country. 

Signor  Michelena  sang  the  lover  to  Abbott's  prettiest  sweet- 
hearts, and  his  handsome  face  and  figure  are  excelled  only  by 


£^ 


Abbotl  and  <  Castle  as  Paul  and  Virginia. 


Tht   Hdnd&orru    T-  n 

his  magnificent  voice.  Tamagno  has  been  called  the  finest 
tenor  Americans  have  ever  heard ;  but  while  in  some  roles  hie 

singing  is  divine,  it  does  not  on  the  whole  equal  that  of  Ml 
lena.  His  singing  was  not  of  the  capricious  order  bo  i  ommon 
to  the  time,  which  disappoints  in  four  roles  and  in  the  fifth  is 
so  brilliant  as  temporarily,  at  least,  to  redeem  the  weakm 
but  ever  the  same  conscientious  endeavor  characterized  his 
efforts,  for  which  the  woman  whose  roles  were  bo  interwoven 
with  his  own.  was  honored.  It  would  be  difficult  to  Bay  in  what 
roles  Michelena  appeared  to  best  advantage,  although  the 
sympathetic  qualities  of  his  voice  were  adapted  to  intensely 
emotional  or  sentimental  parts;  and  with  Abbott  in  Ruy  Bias. 
Trovatore,  Lucia,  Norma  and  Anne  Boleyn  he  gave  inexpressi- 
ble delight. 

Lizzie  Annandale's  service  was  long  and  faithfully  rendered 
Her  work  was  as  painstaking  as  if  she  were  to  reap  the  entire  re 
ward,  and  she  seldom  permitted  anything  to  deter  her  from  an 
appearance  for  which  she  was  billed.  When  Buffering  from  .olds 
which  would  have  been  sufficient  excuse  for  remaining  at  her 
hotel,  she  unselfishly  thought  of  the  disappointment  to  Miss 
Abbott  and  the  public,  and  did  her  best. 

Miss  Annandale  joined  the  company  in  1881,  and  with  tin- 
exception  of  one  season  has  since  been  continuously  one  <>!'  its 
most  popular  members.  She  has  usually  appeared  six.  and 
often  seven  times  each  week,  and  yel  at  the  beginning  of  the 
present  season  her  voice  seemed  as  fresh  as  ever.     So  implicit 

was  Miss  Abbott's  trust  that  her  contralto  would  not  tail  her. 
Annandale  never  during  her  years  of  connection  with  the  com 
pany  had  a  regular  understudy. 

It  is  not  usually  known  thai  during  her  years  of  application 
abroad,  Miss  Annandale  studied  soprano  roles,  yel  no  one.  or  al 
least  few,  who  ever  heard  her  highest  notes,  failed  to  express 
surprise  at  their  clearness.  Ber  range  is  Bimply  wonderful 
tending  two  octaves,  or  from  low  A  to  A  above  the  Btaff,  sing- 
ing either  extreme  with  perfect  ease,  and  pleasing  effect  Sin- 
has  at  various  times  assumed  soprano  roles,  and  always  with 


50  Life  of  Emilia  Abbott. 

success.  Among  these  is  Carmen,  for  which  she  was  always 
cast  at  a  performance  of  that  opera  by  the  Abbott  company. 

When  Annandale  joined  the  company  she  became  at  once  a 
great  favorite  with  its  patrons.  Especially  was  this  true  of  the 
west,  and  in  Denver,  Kansas  Cit}T,  Omaha  and  St.  Louis  all  the 
susceptible  male  hearts  were  at  once  set  fluttering  by  the  bru- 
nette beauty  of  the  new  contralto.  Flowers  and  sweetmeats  in 
sufficient  quantities  to  stock  a  moderate  sized  conservatory  and 
confectionery  stand,  were  sent  to  her  dressing  room  and  hotel, 
and  reams  of  paper  were  freighted  with  sentimental  gush,  all 
addressed  to  the  adorable  "Lizzie." 

Patrons  of  the  company  soon  learned  to  associate  Abbott  and 
Annandale  professionally.  Their  Martha  and  Nanc}',  Leonora 
and  Azucena,  Norma  and  Adalgisa  will  be  long  remembered. 
No  one  who  ever  saw  the  two  in  Carnival  of  Venice,  will 
ever  hear  even  snatches  of  that  charming  opera  without  recall- 
ing Annandale's  big-flowered  dress,  poke  bonuet  and  hand 
satchel,  and  Abbott's  dainty,  beribboned  frock,  white  apron, 
pretty  hose  and  neatly  fitting  slippers.  Her  interpretation  of 
her  role  in  the  new  opera,  Bal  Masque,  also  won  admiration  and 
praise  for  its  vocal  excellence  and  dramatic  power.  In  all  their 
roles  where  the  success  of  the  opera  depended  as  much  upon 
the  one  as  the  other,  Miss  Abbott  seemed  as  heartily  pleased 
with  applause,  flowers,  and  press  commendations,  accorded  her 
associate,  as  if    bestowed  upon  herself. 

Miss  Abbott  was  especially  fond  of  young  and  beautiful 
women,  and  when  in  the  summer  of  1888,  Helene  Bertram  was 
introduced  to  her,  was  captivated  by  her  beauty  of  face  and 
figure,  as  well  as  her  fine  voice.  She  never  wearied  of  recount- 
ing the  beaut}'  and  grace  of  the  new  soprano,  and  was  delighted 
when  strangers  noted  her  striking  resemblance  to  the  girl-wife 
of  President  Cleveland.  She  embraced  every  opportunit}'  to 
put  the  young  songstress  forward,  and  made  a  point  of  calling 
attention  to  her  conscientious,  praiseworthy  efforts. 

The  prima  donna's  admiration  for  her  understudy  was  shared 
by  the  entire  company,  and  the  musical  director.  Signor  Toiuasi, 


Encouraged  Ma/rricu  51 

was  soon  noticed  to  take  more  than  a  passing  interest  in  the 
addition  to  the  ranks  of  singers.      But  a  few  months  pass 
ere  he  announced  to  Mr.  and   Mrs.    Wetherell   that  a  wedding 

was  to  occur  in  the  future. 

Unlike  most  stars.  Miss  Abbott  encouraged  marriage  between 
the  members  of  her  company,  because,  said  sin-.  ■•!  know 
what  a  Bafe-guard  a  husband  is  to  a  woman  in  my  profession, 
when  that  husband  is  one's  constant  companion.  Where  both 
belong  to  one  company,  their  tastes,  their  aims  ami  expectations 
are  one;  and  they  are  as  a  rule  more  contented.  Besides, 
life  is  short  enough  at  the  best,  and  I  can't  feel  it  is  righl  tor 
men  and  women  to  deny  themselves  a  companion  just  because 
their  life  is  in  one  sense  a  nomadic  one.  I  should  prefer,  how- 
ever, that  none  of  my  company  marry  outside  the  profession, 
because  under  such  conditions  both  are  discontented  and  annul- 
ment of  contract  is  apt  to  occur.  " 

Tomasi  and  his  beautiful  wife  were  not  only  favorites  with  the 
company,  but  made  friends  wherever  they  travelled,  and  would 
have  remained  with  Miss  Abbott  until  the  end.  but  for  the 
mischief-making  propensities  and  maliciousness  of  a  member  of 
the  company,  who,  though  a  brilliant  singer  and  performer, 
caused  the  management  more  trouble  than  all  else  beside  :  who 
took  especial  delight  in  the  endeavor  to  estrange  the  manage- 
ment and  Tomasi,  and  finally  the  relations  between  them  were 
severed.  Miss  Abbott  parted  with  her  old  orchestral  Leader  and 
Miss  Bertram  with  unfeigned  sorrow,  and  ever  after  was  Bolici. 
tous  for  their  welfare,  rejoicing  when  success  came  to  them,  and 
soiTowing  deeply  in  their  bereavement  and  misfortunes.  In 
Miss  Abbott's  death,  Eelene  Bertram  lost  one  of  her  warmest 
friends,  one  who  was  as  ready  to  commend  her  professional 
work  after  their  separation  as  before. 

William  Broderick  was  another  of  the  "standbys  of  tin- 
company.  T»-n  years  ago  hi8  voice  was  only  fairly  good,  and 
his  acting  ranked  lower.  There  was,  however,  foundation  tor 
something  better,  and  earl,  year's  advancement  gave  evidence 
of  the  endeavor  and  application  with  which  he  pursued  his  art 


52  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

Had  he  spent  three  or  four  years  abroad,  then  returned  to  this 
country  as  a  Se/wr  or  Monsieur,  and  the  rest  of  his  cognomen 
unpronounceable,  opera-goers  would  have  gone  wild  over  his 
magnificent  vocalization. 

Broderick  is  but  a  young  man,  yet  his  ten  years  of  ex- 
perience, study,  and  endeavor,  entitle  him  to  a  place  in  the  front 
ranks  of  dramatic  vocalists.  In  the  list  of  excellent  bassos,  he 
has  many  inferiors,  some  peers,  and  but  few  superiors.  Among 
his  greatest  roles,  are  the  Count  in  Trovatore,  Don  Pedro  in 
Rose  of  Castile,  Renato  in  Masked  Ball,  The  Miser  in  Chimes  of 
Normandy,  the  Count  in  Bohemian  Girl,  and  others.  His  "Heart 
Bowed  Down,"  in  the  opera  last  mentioned,  has  never  failed  to 
appeal  to  the  hearts  of  an  audience,  always  winning  an  encore, 
frequently  a  second  one,  and  often  a  call  before  the  curtain. 

Walter  Allen  was  for  years  stage  manager  and  Buffo  Basso 
of  the  Abbott  company,  and  in  his  line  did  excellent  work. 
Faithful  to  the  interests  of  the  management,  careful  that  every 
detail  which  would  add  in  the  slightest  degree  to  the  perform- 
ance, was  supplied,  and  painstaking  in  his  own  work,  he  be- 
came popular  with  all,  and  when,  soon  after  Mr.  Wetherell's 
death,  he  severed  his  relations  with  the  troupe,  his  absence 
was  regretted  by  ever}r  member,  and  by  Miss  Abbott. 

William  McCormack,  or  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wetherell  called 
him,  "Billy,"  was  their  property  man  for  ten  years,  and  the 
latter  grew  as  fond  of  him  as  of  a  child.  Both  he  and  Con- 
sadine,  her  private  secretary  (to  her  the  latter  was  always  Dan), 
were  ever  ready  to  attend  her  or  to  fulfil  her  slightest  wish, 
whether  or  not  in  their  regular  line  of  duty,  and  she  frequently 
spoke  of  them  in  the  most  affectionate  terms  as  ' '  My  boys, 
Billy  and  Dan.  They  are  part  of  my  daily  life,  and  are  so 
good  to  me." 

Martin  Pache,  Richard  Karl,  Miss  Emma  Broderick,  Mrs. 
Michelena,  Miss  Grace  Vernon,  Alice  Ellerington  and  Nellie 
Franklin,  were  others  of  the  company,  who  by  the  little  courte- 
sies of  life  that  outweigh  others  apparently  greater,  endeared 
themselves  to  their  leader. 


Abbot  fs  Favoriti    R 

Of  her  early  repertoire  Mi>-  Abbott  liked  best,  Paul  and  Vir- 
ginia. Daughter  of  the  Regiment,  and  Martha.  The  latter  was 
her  favorite,  for  opening  new  houses:  and  at  thirteen  of 
the  twenty-five  opera  houses  opened  by  the  Abbott  company,  the 
star  appeared  as  ••  Martha  ;"  the  great  lady  masquerading  as  a 
peasant  girl.  To  this  role  her  saucy,  coquettish  ways  wen 
pecially  adapted,  and  Abbott's  "  Last  Rose  of  Summer,"  is  of 
national  reputation. 

Miss  Ellerington  says  of  this  opera,  "When  Miss  Abbott  felt 
particularly  jolly  and  wanted  a  frolic,  she  liked  to  Bing 
••Martha"  and  entered  into  the  fun  as  heartily  a^  ever  did  any 
of  her  audiences.  She  liked  especially  well  one  little  Martha 
dress  of  white  mulle,  the  coquettish  sunbonnet  with  its  red  nb- 
bon  bow,  and  the  little  red  shawl  tied  as  a  sash. 

Among  her  treasures  Miss  Ellerington  has  a  beautiful  flounce 
of  delicate  lace,  the  pattern  of  which  Miss  Abbott  especially 
admired,  and  which  Miss  Ellerington  was  making  for  a  new 
Martha  dress.  Only  a  few  days  prior  to  her  last  illness  Miss 
Abbott  surprised  the  "lace-maker"  industriously  plying  her 
needle  and  affectionately  said,  "For  me.  isn't  it.  dear? "then 
turned  to  one  of  the  girls  present  saying:  "Alice  is  always 
working,  always  doing  something  nice  for  me. " 

She  was  almost  child-like  in  her  appreciation  of  gilts  or  fa- 
vors from  those  who  loved  her,  and  prized  the  simple  souvenir 
of  affection  more  than  the  richest  -ift  gold  could  purchase,  if 
she  entertained  the  slightest  suspicion  it  was  given  lor  policy's 
sake  or  to  buy  her  favor.  The  little  gilts  from  the  "girls  and 
boys"  she  carefully  treasured,  and  recounted  to  her  friends 
with  delight  the  deeds  and  words  which  betokened  their  devo- 
tion to  her.  Not  because  she  wished  the  public  to  understand 
that  she  commanded  their  esteem  or  the  semblance  thereof,  '"it 
it  did  her  heart  good  to  kuow  that  she  was  beloved 


CHAPTER    VII. 


HERE  are  scores  of  incidents  connected 
with  the  dead  singer's  career  which  are  of 
interest  to  the  reading  public,  some  of  which 
have  never  seen  print,  and  others  have  been 
incorrectly  stated.  Many  of  the  former 
relate  to  her  deeds  of  benevolence  which 
were  numerous,  indeed  almost  daily.  She  was  generous-hearted 
and  extremely  sensitive  to  suffering ;  a  ready  S3'mpathizer  in 
all  phases  of  sorrow,  and  her  sympathy  oftener  found  expres- 
sion in  deeds  than  words. 

Every  city  in  the  United  States  which  has,  during  her  years 
of  financial  prosperit}-,  been  afflicted  by  famine,  fire,  flood  or 
pestilence,  has  occasion  to  thank  Emma  Abbott  for  generous 
contributions  in  their  hour  of  need. 

In  the  dark  days  of  1878  at  Memphis,  when  through  the 
North  came  that  pitiful  appeal  from  the  few  who  remained  on 
duty,  in  behalf  of  their  stricken  city,  the  Abbott  treasury  con- 
tained a  few  thousands  rather  than  millions  as  at  the  close  of 
her  life.  Rut  her  heart  was  stirred  at  the  daily  recitals  of 
suffering,  and  although  abroad,  absorbed  in  study  when  the 
epidemic  began,  her  check  for  a  thousand  dollars  was  promptly 


II  m  volt  nt  Deeds. 

forwarded  to  the  aid  committee.      Besides  tJ  sought  out 

the  families  of  the  American  Colony  in  Paris,  and  asked  their 
co-operation  and  patronage  in  a  benefit  concert  for  the  yellow 

fever  sufferers  in  their  native  land.  All  responded  nobly  ;  and 
within  a  week  two  thousand  dollars  more  were  on  the  way  to 
relieve  the  wants  of  some  poor,  despairing  souls.  When  the 
company  organized  for  the  season,  two  benefit  performances 
were  given,  the  proceeds  of  which  went  South. 

By  reason  of  the  awful  disaster  at  Chatsworth,  111.,  more 
than  two  score  children  were  left  destitute  and  a  number  oi 
families  deprived  of  their  means  of  support,  and  hundreds 
maimed  for  life.  As  soon  as  the  singer  heard  of  the  accident, 
she  remembered  her  old  home  in  Peoria,  and  as  many  citizens 
of  Peoria  were  on  the  ill-fated  train,  she  sent  letters  of  inquiry 
regarding  the  unfortunates  and  how  their  needs  were  to  be  met 
As  soon  as  replies  were  received  she  forwarded  a  generous  sum 
to  the  relief  committee,  saying,  "So  far  as  you  can  consistently 
without  leaving  others  to  suffer,  apply  this  to  the  needs  of  the 
wounded  and  bereaved  who  belong  to  Peoria." 

The  Johnstown  disaster  came  soon  after  the  close  of  a  mosl 
prosperous  season,  and  to  the  calls  for  aid,  Abbott  was  one  oJ 
the  first  to  respond  with  a  generous  sum.  In  addition  to  this 
there  were  children  who  were  by  that  dreadful  visitation  ren- 
dered homeless  orphans,  who  owe  to  her  the  fact  that  tln\ 
to-day  either  self-supporting  or  so  situated  that  they  will  »»>\i 
be.  A  fund  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  trusted  friend  in  Pitts- 
burg, which  through  careful  expenditure  has  afforded  home, 
clothing  and  schooling,  to  six  children  between  the  ages  of  seven 
and  twelve,  and  cared  for  three  others  over  twelve,  who  have 
become  stenographers  or  assistanl  book-keepers.  Thus  nine 
children,  who  might  have  gone  either  to  the  almshouse  or  other 
institution  and  perhaps  finished  their  career  in  prison,  have 
been  provided  with  good  moral  teaching,  and  started  on  life's 
journey  self -respecting  and  Belf-sustaining.  Three  onl;j  of  these 
young  pensioners  were  ever  seen  by  their  benefactress,  i>ut  it  is 
certain  they  will  not  cease  to  cherish  her  memon 


56  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

"When  Louisville  was  visited  by  the  terrible  cyclone  of  '88, 
Miss  Abbott's  check  for  one  thousand  dollars  sent  to  Henry 
Watterson  of  the  Courier  Journal,  for  the  relief  fund,  was 
among  the  first  contributions  from  outside  the  city.  Cincinnati 
at  the  time  of  the  floods  of  '89  received  material  aid  from  the 
same  generous  source.  To  the  Irish  cause,  also,  Miss  Abbott 
gave  at  various  times  several  hundred  dollars.  The  charitable 
institutions  of  many  cities  have  been  tendered  benefit  perform- 
ances, which  never  failed  to  swell  materially  the  fund  in  need. 

During  an  engagement  of  the  company  in  Washington  in  the 
winter  of  '86  a  personal  friend  called  on  Miss  Abbott  and  men- 
tioned to  her  the  fact  that  a  lady  who  had,  during  their  child- 
hood in  Peoria,  been  a  mutual  friend,  had  died  the  day  before, 
leaving  a  family  of  little  children  and  an  invalid  husband  in 
reduced  circumstances.  Miss  Abbott  was  especially  desirous 
of  being  in  good  voice  that  evening,  as  the  President  and  wife 
and  some  of  the  cabinet  and  diplomatic  corps  were  to  occupy 
boxes  at  the  performance.  It  was  storming,  half  rain,  half 
sleet;  but  said  she,  "Poor  Dora;  I  must  go  with  you  to  see 
her  family  and  look  on  her  own  sweet  face  again. "  The}'  took  a 
cab,  and  in  a  few  moments  entered  the  humble  home  where  a 
neighbor  and  the  help  (one  young  girl)  were  alone  with  the 
little  ones  and  their  dead  mother.  The  singer  burst  into  tears 
as  she  bent  over  the  form  of  her  old  friend,  and  looked  upon 
the  motherless  children,  the  youngest  of  which  was  a  daughter, 
three  months  old.  Even  its  tin}'  nature  seemed  to  respond  to 
the  warmth  and  affection  of  the  stranger,  and  its  great  blue 
eyes  and  rosebud  mouth  were  kissed  by  her  again  and  again. 
The  father  entered  a  few  moments  later,  and  was  introduced  by 
her  companion  to  "Mrs.  "Wetherell,  an  old  friend  of  Dora's," 
and  seemed  grateful  for  the  sympathy  and  attention  bestowed 
upon  his  bereaved  little  ones.  The  singer  bade  the  lonely  fam- 
ily adieu,  promising  to  attend  the  funeral  on  the  following 
morning,  and  to  see  them  again  before  she  left  the  city. 

The  Mikado  was  on  the  bills  for  the  evening  performance, 
and  the  theater  was  packed  to  the  doors  with  the  wealth  and 


Abh.it  .^  Violetta. 


A  Touching  Incident. 

beaut}- of  the  capital  city.  "Yum  Yum  "  giggled  and  Bmiled, 
and  kissed  her  hand  to  the  graceful  girl-wife  oi  President 
Cleveland,  and  being  absorbed  in  her  role,  forgot  for  the  mo- 
ment the  lonely  household  in  an  humbler  quarter  of  the  city. 
But  when  the  interpolation  of  the  lullaby  song  from  Erminie, 
"Dear  mother  !  In  dreams  I  see  her."  the  tears  would  flow  and 
the  heart  swelled  with  affection  as  she  sang  to  the  imaginary 
baby  in  her  arms, 

"Bye,  bye,  drowsiness  o'ertaking, 
Pretty  little  eyelids  sleep  ; 
Bye,  bye,  watching  till  thou'rt  waking, 

Darling,  be  thy  slumber  deep." 

A  pin  drop  would  have  disturbed  the  silence  that  reigned 
throughout  the  house  as  the  last  notes  of  the  chorus  died  away. 
All  were  astonished  that  the  rollicking,  giggling  "little  maid 
from  school"'  could  so  soon  lose  herself  in  an  entirely  opposite 
role,  and  many  were  the  comments  during  the  succeeding  wait 
upon  the  "feeling  and  realism"  of  which  the  singer  was  capa- 
ble. A  gentleman  present  remarked.  "I  always  knew  little  Ab- 
bott could  sing,  but  I  thought  only  Clara  Morris  could  shed 
tears  at  will  on  the  stage." 

At  the  hour  for  the  funeral  a  magnificent  carriage  stopped  at 
the  gate  of  the  bereaved  home,  and  there  alighted  the  resident 
lady  friend.  Miss  Abbott  and  a  gentleman  member  of  her  com- 
pany. After  prayer  and  reading  of  the  usual  service,  the  offici- 
ating clergyman  announced  a  hymn,  but  as  no  arrangements 
had  been  made  there  were  no  singers  to  respond.  At  a  signal 
from  Miss  Abbott  her  companion  stepped  to  her  side  and  they 
sang  the  duet, 

"Rock  of  Ages,  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  thee." 

Among  the  little  group  of  neighbors  who  had  assembled  to 
show  their  sympathy,  there  was  not  a  dry  eye  and  the  stricken 
husband  sobbed  aloud.  Then  came  a  word  of  consolation  from 
the  officiating  clergyman,  and  again  the  clear  soprai  -  sang,  ■■  I 
know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth. "     *  *     All  was  over,  and 


58  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

when  the  little  band  returned  to  the  house,  the  husband  and 
father  took  Miss  Abbott's  hand  and  said:  ' :  I  want  to  thank  you 
for  3'our  singing.  I  was  on  the  verge  of  despair.  I  know  I 
must  soon  follow  Dora,  and  I  had  almost  lost  faith  in  God. 
But  since  you  sang  that  beautiful  hymn  '  I  know  that  my  Re- 
deemer liveth, '  I  feel  that  T  can  trust  all  with  Him."  Then 
followed  a  few  moments'  conversation  as  to  his  plans  for  the 
children  and  their  future  care,  and  when  this  was  concluded  she 
took  the  baby  girl  from  her  cradle,  and  said:  "How  I  wish  I 
could  adopt  her  as  my  own,  but  my  profession  will  not  permit. 
If,  however,  you  will  allow  this,  her  mother's  friend  and  mine, 
to  take  her  as  her  own,  she  will  be  to  her  a  mother,  and  I  will 
place  to  her  credit  a  sum  sufficient  for  her  maintenance  and  edu- 
cation until  she  is  able  to  care  for  herself.  I  will  also  give  her 
my  name,  Emma  Abbott.  "  Then  for  the  first  time  did  the  father 
learn  that  his  newly  found  friend  was  the  famous  singer  and 
wife  of  a  millionaire.  He  died  the  following  spring  after  plac- 
ing his  eldest  children  in  the  Ohio  Soldiers'  Orphans  Home,  and 
leaving  little  Emma  Abbott  in  Washington  with  her  adopted 
mother,  who  will  in  years  to  come  teach  her  to  revere  at  once 
the  memory  of  her  mother,  and  the  generous-hearted  woman 
whose  bestowal  has  given  her  food  and  clothing  and  will  make 
her  self-sustaining. 

During  a  Montgomery,  Alabama,  engagement,  the  singer  was 
out  with  her  maid  for  a  morning  stroll,  enjoying  the  balmy 
southern  air,  and  the  almost  tropical  brilliancy  of  foliage  and 
flowers.  Her  walk  being  longer  than  usual  extended  to  a  part 
of  the  city  inhabited  by  numerous  colored  families.  At  one  of 
the  houses  she  noticed  the  usual  signs  of  a  funeral,  and  after  in- 
quiring of  the  bystanders  something  regarding  the  household, 
her  curiosity  regarding  their  funeral  ceremonies,  and  a  desire  to 
hear  them  sing,  led  her  to  enter.  The  only  white  person  in  the 
company,  she  was  the  object  of  much  attention,  and  her  appear- 
ance betokened  her  as  ' '  one  of  the  quality. "  A  chair  was  given 
her,  and  other  possible  courtesies  extended  before  the  sermon 
began,  from  which  she  learned  that  the  deceased  was  an  old 


Thi   Freedman. 

woman  who  bad  been  many  years  a  slave;  and  who  ranked  high 
in  the  esteem  of  her  noighbors  and  associates  because  of  her 
Christian  virtues.     At  the  conclusion  of  the  remarks  a  brother 

in  t  lie  room  began.  -Swing  low,  sweet  Chariot  "  and  in  the  singing 
of  the  second  line,  every  one  present  joined.  In  relating  the  inci- 
dent Miss  Abbott  said.  --Oh!  that  music!  I  never  heard  such 
soulful  singing  before,  and  1  never  expect  to  again  until  I  pass 
through  the  pearly  gates.  Talk  about  the  negro  having  no  soul! 
Do  I  believe  God  would  put  such  melody  into  the  voice  of  crea- 
tures who  have  no  souls?  No!  I  only  hop*.'  thai  such  music  may 
attend  my  body  on  its  last  earthly  journey."  The  aged  husband 
was  left  alone,  and  his  heart  seemed  broken  as  he  stood  looking 
for  the  last  time  upon  the  face  of  her  who  had  cheered  him  for 
half  a  century,  through  the  trials  of  slavery,  and  had  shared 
with  him  the  blessed  privileges  of  freedom. 

When  the  engagement  of  the  company  in  that  southern  city 
was  over,  few,  if  any  of  its  members  knew  that  their  Leader's 
share  of  the  week's  profits  was  left  behind,  to  provide  the 
lonely  old  colored  man  with  necessary  comforts  during  his 
few  remaining  days. 

A  touching  little  incident  in  Abbott's  early  Life  is  related  by 
Major  Elward  of  Peoria,  who  was  one  of  the  friends  of  her 
childhood.  She  retained  her  regard  for  him  to  the  end.  and 
improved  every  opportunity  to  show  her  gratitude  Cor  the  en- 
couragement extended  by  him  in  those  days  of  darkness  which 
preceded  her  dawn. 

She  had  been  travelling  through  Iowa  with  a  concert  com- 
pany, but  owing  to  the  fact  that  she  received  no  pay.  she  can- 
celled her  engagements  with  them,  and  determined  to  sin-  her 
way  home  without  writing  for  assistance,  She  had  reached 
Clifton,  Iowa,  a  little  village,  the  population  of  which  con 
sisted  mostly  of  railroad  men. 

A  hall  had  been  spoken  for  and  handbills  circulated,  announc 
ing  that  Emma  Abbott  would  sin-  in  the  evening.      Major    El 

wai'd  was  in  the  village  on  business,  and  as  he  passed  a  bulletin 

board,  noticed  thereon  the  announcement  of  the  appearance  of 


60  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

his  young  friend.  Having  nothing  on  hand  for  the  evening  he 
decided  to  invite  two  acquaintances,  and  with  them  attend  the 
concert. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  snow  began  to  fall,  and  before  dark  a 
blizzard,  such  as  only  Dakota  and  Iowa  have  ever  experienced, 
was  raging.  Early  in  the  evening  Major  Elward  and  his  asso- 
ciates started  for  the  concert  hall,  and  on  arriving  purchased 
tickets  at  the  door,  but  found  no  one  inside.  Hearing  voices 
at  the  extreme  end  of  the  room  behind  the  curtain,  he  walked 
forward,  and  was  astonished  to  hear  the  well-known  voice  of 
his  little  friend  pleading  with  some  one,  and  saying,  ' '  Please 
don't  take  my  guitar  from  me,  I  love  it  so ;  I  can't  part  with 
it ;  I  will  pay  you  just  as  soon  as  I  earn  the  money,  or  I  will 
send  home  and  get  it ;  you  shall  have  your  pay,  but  please,  sir, 
don't  take  my  guitar. "  The  other  voice  was  hard  and  unrelent- 
ing, and  insisted  on  immediate  payment  for  the  rent  of  the  hall 
or  the  release  of  the  guitar.  Major  Elward  could  endure  no 
more,  so  he  drew  back  the  curtain  exclaiming  ;  "  No  sir  ;  you'll 
not  touch  that  guitar.  If  the  weather  were  favorable  the  hall 
would  have  been  filled,  and  you  would  have  received  }rour  ten 
dollars,  which,  by  the  way  is  a  most  extravagant  charge ;  but 
the  child  is  not  to  blame  for  the  blizzard.  I  have  paid  three 
dollars  for  tickets.  That  will  cover  your  expense,  and  pay  for 
your  trouble,  but  you  will  get  no  more. "  Then  turned  to  the 
girl  who  had  greeted  him  with  "Oh,  Elward!  you  have  come 
just  in  time;"  saying  "Come,  Emma,  we'll  go  now." 

Arriving  at  the  hotel  he  ordered  a  nice  lunch  for  her,  and 
while  she  partook  of  that,  related  the  event  just  described  to  a 
company  of  railroad  men  who  were  gathered  in  the  hotel  office. 
Among  these  was  a  Scotchman,  who  inquired  of  Elward  if  his 
protege  could  sing  "  Within  a  Mile  of  Edinboro' Town. "  Her 
lunch  finished,  the  Major  arranged  for  a  little  entertainment  in 
the  hotel  sitting  room,  the  program  beginning  with  the  Scotch- 
man's favorite  song.  The  hearts  of  the  listeners  were  touched, 
and  the  voluntary  offering  to  the  little  lady  who  had  entertained 
them  so  charminglv,  was  not  a  small  one. 


Tis  the  Last  Rose  oi  Summer." 


Htr  Faith  in  God.  61 

This  was  one  of  a  series  of  incidents  in  the  early  life  of  the 
singer  which  established  her  faith  in  God,  and  led  her  so  often 
to  say  to  friends  who  were  under  a  cloud  :  ••  Yon  must  do  as  1 
do;  trust  Him  where  you  cannot  see  the  way.  assured  that  11>' 
will  lead  you  into  light. " 

Another  little  incident  which  shows  how  lasting  was  her 
gratitude  is  as  follows.  In  1SS0  the  Abbott  Opera  Company 
was  for  a  fortnight  in  financial  straits,  and  while  in  Peoria  the 
treasury,  after  paying  the  week's  salaries  and  Betting  aside  the 
hotel  bills,  was  without  a  dollar.  The  receipts  of  the  week  would. 
of  course,  be  good,  but  there  was  the  transportation  of  the  com- 
pany to  Chicago  to  be  deducted.  An  advertising  bill  of  $23.00 
payable  to  Col.  Dowdall.  editor  of  the  Peoria  National  Demo- 
crat, was  due,  and  Mr.  Wetherell  asked  ashorl  extension,  which 
was  courteously  granted.  A  month  later  the  bill  was  paid,  bul 
Miss  Abbott  did  not  then  consider  the  obligation  discharg 
Each  year  thereafter  during  the  company's  engagement  in  the 
city,  she  tendered  to  Col.  Dowdall  and  family  the  use  of  a  box, 
and  often  sent  a  carriage  to  take  them  to  and  from  the  theater. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 


URIXG-  her  last  engagement  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, America's  ideal  Martha  sang  the 
"Last  Rose  of  Summer  "  under  such  con- 
ditions as  it  was  never  sung  before.  Not 
as  Martha,  the  lady  masquerading  as  the 
servant  girl,  not  as  Abbott,  the  prima 
donna,  but  as  a  warm  hearted,  sympathetic 
woman  endeavoring  to  cast  a  ray  of  light  into  the  "  Valle}-  of 
the  shadow  "  which  a  brother  was  about  to  enter. 

A  gentleman  from  Detroit,  Mr.  Phillip  J.  Boost,  was  lying 
hopelessly  ill  at  the  residence  of  his  brother  on  twenty-second 
street.  He  had  been  for  3rears  a  regular  patron  of  Abbott  en- 
gagements in  Detroit,  and  never  missed  hearing  the  company's 
rendering  of  Martha.  Abbott's  rendering  of  ' '  The  Last  Rose 
of  Summer,"  was  his  ideal  music.  "When  first  attacked  by 
pulmonary  trouble,  he  started  for  the  Pacific  coast,  hoping 
through  the  mildness  of  climate  to  gain ;  but  Providence  other- 
wise directed  and  he  had  given  up  all  hope  of  recover}*. 

When  the  engagement  at  the  Baldwin  began  he  seemed 
interested,  and  watched  eagerly  for  the  morning  papers  and 
their  dramatic  criticisms.  With  the  reading  of  the  reviews  of 
the  performances  came  the  longing  to  hear  once  more  his  ideal 


Sings  for  a  Dying  I 

song,  and  he  implored  his  physician  and  friends  to  take  him  t<» 
the  matinee  performance  of  Martha.     Of  course  this  was  im 
possible,  as  he  was  too  weak  to  walk  to  and  from  a  carrii 
but  the  dying-  man,  usually  submissive,  refused  to  be  satisfied 
'•If  I  could  hear  Abbott  sing  that  one  song,  1  would  be  - 
fied.'"  he  said  to  Mrs.  M.  A.   Botaling,  a  friend  who  sat   oeai 
him,  and  who  frequently  dropped  in  to  cheer  his  lonely  hour- 
Mrs.    Botaling   boarded    at    the    Baldwin   hotel    where    Miss 
Abbott  made  her  home  when  in  the  city,  and  she  took  pain-  to 
relate   to    the    prima    donna    her    invalid    friends    admiration. 
Miss  Abbott  said:  ••!   want   you  to  take   me   to  your  young 
friend  at  once;  if  my  singing  will  afford  him   one  moment's 
pleasure  or  forgetfulness  of  pain.  T  shall  feel  that  my  afternoon 
is  spent  in  doing  my  heavenly  Father's  will."     On  account  of  a 
heavy  rain  it  was  suggested  that  they  wait,  but  she  Baid,   -    N 
to-morrow  may  be  too  late. 

The  introduction  was  a  great  surprise,  and  in  his  feeble  state 
something  of  a  shock  to  the  young  man.  and  several  moments 
passed  before  he  could  speak  to  voice  his  -latitude  for  the  call 
and  its  purpose,  and  the  singer  then  refused  to  permit  him  to 
do  so.  Tenderly  laying  her  finger  on  his  lips,  she  said.  ••  Save 
3'our  strength,  my  dear,  and  use  it  in  voicing  your  wishes  to 
your  friends  and  making  your  peace  for  the  life  to  come 

The  others  in  the  room  withdrew,  and  the  interview  between 
the  invalid  just  finishing  a  short  life  and  the  singer  who  to  all 
appearance  had  years  to  enjoy,  lasted  nearly  an  hour.  Only 
God  knows  how  much  of  hope  for  the  future  and  the  peace  that 
cometh  of  perfect  trust  in  Him  that  ooble  woman  imparted  to 
the  invalid's  weary  soul.  Then  the  family  were  BUmmoned  to 
listen  to  the  song. 

There  was  no  stage,  no  costuming,  do  properties  save  a  blush 
rose  she  had  selected  from  a  Moral  tribute  of  the  preceding 
night.  The  invalid  lay  on  his  pillow  like  one  entranced,  almost 
breathless,  his  eyes  fixed,  his  ear  strained  lest  he  lose  a  note  ol 
the  charming  melody.  Abbott  probably  never  put  more  pathos 
and  feeling  into  the  words, 


64  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

"No  flower  of  her  kindred,  no  rosebud  is  nigh 
To  reflect  back  her  blushes,  or  give  sigh  for  sigh." 

and  as  she  sang  the  beautiful  petals  fell  silently  to  the  floor, 
one  by  one.  The  last  stanza  was  repeated  softly,  and  when  it 
was  concluded,  the  invalid  lay  asleep  ;  a  smile  of  perfect  peace- 
fulness  lighting  his  pale,  worn  face.  As  she  took  her  departure 
the  visitor  turned  and  looked  a  moment  at  the  sleeping  invalid, 
and  said  softly  to  an  attendant,  "Tell  him  when  he  awakens  I 
say  that  smile  is  to  me  worth  more  than  all  the  applause  of  last 
night. "  *  *  Two  weeks  later  both  singer  and  listener  had 
passed  over  the  river,  and  entered  into  Peace.  Not  the  peace 
of  the  Pantheist,  but  that  which  comes  after  a  life  of  unselfish- 
ness, a  life  squared  by  the  Golden  Rule  of  Love. 

Similar  in  some  of  its  features  was  the  incident  of  Miss 
Abbott's  singing  in  a  New  York  city  charity  hospital.  The 
idea  suggested  itself  to  her  mind,  and  she  wrote  a  note  to  the 
physician  in  charge  as  follows :  "  I  have  been  thinking  that 
perhaps  your  sick  ones  might  enjoy  an  afternoon  of  song,  and 
if  you  think  the  results  would  be  favorable  I  will  come  on 
Monday  for  an  hour  or  two  and  sing  a  few  simple,  cheerful 
songs  in  each  ward. "  It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  the  gener- 
ous offer  was  accepted  ;  and  those  in  charge  afterward  asserted 
that  no  announcement  was  ever  received  by  the  inmates  with 
such  gratification  and  enthusiastic  anticipation.  The  singer  in 
recalling  her  visit  said,  "I  was  not  received  with  cheers  or 
shouts ;  but  brightened  eyes,  flushed  cheeks,  and  happy  smiles 
bespoke  the  delight  of  the  poor  sick  creatures." 

She  went  from  ward  to  ward,  leaving  at  each  bed  a  simple 
flower,  speaking  here  and  there  words  of  encouragement,  and 
singing  songs  of  hope  and  cheer,  pausing  anon  to  take  a  wan, 
white  hand  in  hers,  and  soothe  with  her  gentle  touch  an 
aching  brow. 

As  she  reached  the  wards  where  the  consumptive  patients 
were,  she  noticed  on  a  cot  a  young  girl  of  about  eighteen  years, 
beside  whom  sat  a  nurse  intently  watching  the  patient  lest  she 
pass  away  unheeded.      At  a  little  distance  from  her  lay  a  frail 


Sings  for  Hospital  Patients. 

woman  of  middle  age.  and  by  her  bed  the  visitor  paused,  laid  a 
delicate  tea  rose  on  the  sick  woman's  pillow  and  said.  -1  have 
come  to-day  to  sing  to  yon,  if  you  wish.  "    •  •  <  Hi.  yes;  80  much' 
replied  the  patient ;  ••  1  haven't  heard  a  sung  for  ever  and  ever 
so  long." 

Softly  rose  the  sweet  voice, 

''There's a  land  that  is  fairer  than  day; 
And  by  faith  we  may  see  it  afar." 

When  she  reached  the  chorus, 

'•  In  the  sweei  Bye  and  Bye, 
We  shall  meet  on  that  beautiful  9hore," 

the  young  girl  on  the  farther  cot  opened  her  eyes  and  turned 
them  from  one  object  to  another  until  they  rested  on  the  sin 
Simultaneously  with   her  own.  the  pale,  thin  lips  formed   the 
words.  "Bye   and   Bye,"  and   prostrated  by  the  effort.    Bank 
back  into  apparent  sleep. 
Again  the  visitor  sang, 

"Do  Thou,  Lord,  midst  pleasure  or  woo 

For  heaven  our  spirits  prepare  : 
Then  shortly  we  also  shall  know 
And  feel  what  it  is  to  be  there." 

As  she  sang  the  refrain, 

"To  be  there,  to  be  there  : 
Oh.  what  must  it  be  to  be  there!" 

the  lips  of  the  dying  girl  moved,  and  the  words.   •■/'„<  almost 
there;"  were  spoken  with  her  last  breath. 

Miss  Abbott  left  the  room  and  the  building  without  a  word, 
simply  nodding  an  adieu,  as  she  passed  out  of  the  door.  The 
following  morning  an  elaborate  pillow  of  white  japonicas  with 
the  words  "Bye  and  Bye"  in  heliotrope,  contrasted  Btrangelj 
with  the  plain  stained  caskel  which  was  borne  from  the  build- 
ing, but  the  face  beneath  bore  a  smile  which  betokened  the  j<<\ 
,]i;it  possessed  the  aoul  as  home  on  the  wings  of  song  it  entered 

••The  land  that  is  fairer  than  day.'' 

While  taking  a  walk  one  morning  in  Denver,   Miss  Abbott's 

attention  was  attracted  toward  a  trio  of  little  people  playing  on 


66  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

the  sidewalk,  and  it  occurred  to  her  that  they  were  thinly  clad 
for  the  season.  To  one  of  the  number,  a  little  girl  about  six 
years  of  age  she  said  ;  "If  I  give  you  some  money  will  you  go 
at  once  and  buy  a  pair  of  shoes  and  put  them  on  your  feet?  " 
The  child  hesitated  a  minute,  then  answered,  "I'd  rather  bu}r  a 
basket  of  grapes  for  mamma  and  Mabel  'cause  they  is,  both 
sick,  and  my  feet  is  warm  enough,  indeed  they  is,  ma'am."  It 
is  almost  unnecessary  to  say  that  the  little  lady's  story  was  in- 
vestigated, and  that  not  only  "Mamma  and  Mabel"  received  an 
abundant  supply  of  the  choicest  fruit,  and  other  dainties,  but 
little  Trixie  wore  shoes  the  rest  of  the  winter.  Two  years  later 
a  letter  reached  Miss  Abbott  through  the  New  York  Mirror  let- 
ter box,  which  ran  as  follows  :  "My  clear  Friend,  I  will  begin 
by  telling  you  that  I  am  Mabel  Blaine,  sister  of  '  little  Trixie '  to 
whom  you  gave  the  mone}'  to  buy  shoes  in  Denver.  Our  mamma 
died  soon  after  you  went  away,  but  the  kind  gentleman  you 
sent  to  see  us,  did  everything  he  could  do  for  us  all.  I  am 
working  in  a  nice  family  as  nurse  girl  and  go  to  school  part  of 
the  year.  The  gentleman,  Mr.  Tabor,  gave  Trixie  and  me  ten 
dollars  apiece  last  Saturday  to  buy  us  some  warm  cloaks  for 
winter,  and  when  we  thanked  him  he  said :  '  It  came  from 
Miss  Emma  Abbott,  the  opera  singer. '  The  lady  I  live  with 
told  me  if  I  write  a  letter  thanking  you  for  your  good  heart 
you  will  get  it.  She  will  send  it  to  a  paper,  and  you  will  hear 
about  it.  I  am  glad  to  have  a  chance  to  tell  you  how  much  we 
thank  }rou. " 

This  letter  did  Miss  Abbott  much  good,  and  as  she  showed 
it  to  the  author  the  tears  rolled  down  her  cheeks  as  she  re- 
marked "That  is  real  gratitude." 

To  the  infliction  of  the  death  penalty  for  any  crime  whatever 
she  was  strongly  opposed,  and  she  has  argued  the  question  with 
many  distinguished  jurists  both  of  America  and  Europe. 
Her  plea  was  this  ' '  To  man  his  brother  man  can  give  the 
right  to  enjoy  all  the  privileges  of  life,  and  can  also  deter  him 
from  the  same.  The  law  therefore  has  a  right  to  deprive  a  man 
of  his  liberty  as  a  penalty  for  the  commission  of  crime,  because. 


Opposed  to  Capital  Punishment.  67 

in  the  event  that  the  convicted  man  is  later  found  innocent 
of  the  aforesaid  crime,  that  Liberty  can  be  restored  to  him 
God  only,  however,  can  give  life,  and  only  God  should  take  it. 
Capital  punishment  is  a  stain  on  the  name  of   every  state  or 

government  which   practices  it." 

When  a  few  years  since,  in  New  York  city.  Jennie  Smith  and 
her  lover  were  condemned  to  die,  and  one  of  the  daily  papers 
said  that  if  a  thousand  dollars  were  to  he  had  the  prisoners  could 
secure  a  new  trial,  Miss  Abbott  called  a  cab  and  going  into 
Wall  street  among  the  bankers,  brokers,  etc.  with  a  subscrip- 
tion paper  headed  by  herself  and  husband,  she  secured  in  one 
hour  more  than  the  thousand  dollars  needed.  The  prisoners 
were  given  a  new  trial,  and  both  were  acquitted. 

Abbott's  courage,  or  what  is  usually  termed  nerve,  was  phe- 
nomenal. At  a  one  night  stand  in  the  south  the  stage  Bettings 
caught  fire,  and  the  members  of  the  company  made  a  stampede. 
Miss  Abbott  caught  the  curtain  and  rugs  and  with  them  extin- 
guished the  flames. 

The  saving  of  the  little  daughter  of  a  prominent  physician 
of  Dallas,  Texas,  has  been  told  a  score  of  times  in  print,  hut  it 
being  one  of  the  most  thrilling  of  all  her  experiences  it  is 
worthy  of  repetition  here.  The  company  were  giving  perform- 
ances in  a  southern  city  where  it  is  seldom  cold  enough  to  fur- 
nish skating  for  lovers  of  that  amusement.  The  winter  "I  -  I 
and  '85  however  had  been  one  of  unusual  severity  throughout 
the  south  and  in  several  cities  skating  rinks  did,  for  a  few 
weeks,  a  thriving  business. 

One  afternoon  in  the  city  before  mentioned,  the  company 
were  on  the  ice,  led  in  grace  and  swiftness  by  their  beloved 
star.  All  at  once  Miss  Abbotl  was  seen  to  strike  out  alone, 
and  all  as  was  their  custom  refrained  from  Intruding  their 
presence  when  she  seemed  to  desire  solitude.  ilter  speeding 
for  several  rods  like  the  wind,  she  was  Been  to  stoop  and  draw 
from  beneath  the  ice  the  form  of  a  child.  Some  of  the  mem 
bers  of  the  company  started  to  aid  her,  but  raising  her  hand 
she  beckoned  them  to  go  back;   shouting  at   the  top  '>\'  her 


68  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

voice,  ''Don't  come,  the  ice  will  not  bear  you."  Cautiously 
she  crept  on  hands  and  knees,  pushing  before  her  the  drenched 
form  she  had  rescued.  All  watched  her  with  breathless  anxiety 
as  the  ice  swayed  and  cracked  beneath  her  weight.  Finally 
when  bej'ond  danger  she  rose  to  her  feet,  and  taking  the  little 
one  in  her  arms  canned  her  to  the  anxious  crowd  of  spectators. 
The  danger  passed  and  the  child  in  the  arms  of  her  friends,  she 
gave  herself  into  the  hands  of  an  attendant,  drenched  and 
chilled  to  the  bone,  and  almost  overcome  with  fright  and 
anxiety,  supplemented  by  joy  that  she  had  been  able  to  rescue 
one  from  a  watery  grave. 

The  little  one  was  with  friends,  a  spectator  of  the  afternoon's 
sport,  and  how  she  came  to  wander  away  on  the  ice  unobserved, 
no  one  seemed  to  understand.  Miss  Abbott  had  chanced  to 
glance  in  that  direction  just  in  time  to  see  the  child  disappear, 
and  having  been  warned  that  the  ice  in  that  quarter  was  unsafe, 
refrained  from  giving  an  alarm  lest  others  follow  her  and  her 
purpose  to  rescue  the  child  be  thwarted.  Others  might  have 
sent  another,  and,  if  wealthy,  have  offered  a  munificent  reward, 
but  Emma  Abbott,  true  to  her  unselfish  nature,  forgot  that  she 
was  placing  her  own  life  in  jeopardy;  forgot  that  a  chill  such 
as  she  must  undergo  might  cost  her  that  magnificent  voice; 
forgot  all,  save  that  the  life  of  a  little  child  was  in  danger,  and 
that  unless  she  went  to  the  rescue,  a  home  would  be  forever 
darkened. 

At  Chatanooga  a  few  nights  later,  the  heroine  of  the  incident 
was  presented  by  admirers  with  a  solid  silver  yacht  in  token  of 
appreciation  of  her  bravery. 

At  Long  Branch  soon  after  the  organization  of  her  company, 
Abbott  saved  the  life  of  a  Miss  Annie  Colgrove  of  Indianapolis 
who,  with  a  company  of  friends,  were  bathing  while  the  tide 
was  receding.  None  of  the  party  were  expert  swimmers,  and 
when  the  young  lady  was  carried  off  her  feet  by  an  outgoing 
wave,  all  seemed  to  lose  presence  of  mind.  Miss  Abbott,  who 
was  just  about  to  return  to  the  bathing  house,  saw  the  danger 
which  threatened  the  girl,   plunged  into  the  water  and  with  a 


Bisks  Her  Lift   to  SatH  end. 

few  skillful  strokes  reached  her  sidej  and  turning,  fought  a 
fierce  battle  with  the  waves  and  her  unconscious  burden,  ere 
she  relinquished  the  latter  to  her  friends  on  Bhore. 

Next  morning  Miss  Colgrove,  accompanied  by  her  father, 
called  on  Miss  Abbott  t<>  emphasize  the  thanks  of  the  previous 
evening  and  there  was  formed  a  friendship  which  was  broken 
only  by  the  death  of  Miss  Colgrove  in  l^v7  al  Honolulu.  Mr 
Colgrove  numbers  among  his  treasures  a  letter  of  condolence 
from  Emma  Abbott  Wetherell,  and  wears  on  his  watch  chain  a 
Maltese  cross  of  gold  with  the  words  "In  Memoriam."  on  one 
side,  and  on  the  reverse,  her  favorite  signature,  a  musical  stall 
with  the  letters  ••  E.  A."  in  whole  notes.  Among  those  who  re- 
gret the  early  death  of  the  songstress  there  is  no  more  sincere 
mourner  than  the  father  of  one  whom  she  imperilled  her  own 
life  to  save. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


ALTHOUGH  not  aggressive  in  disposition, 
Abbott  -would  not  allow  either  her  profes- 
sion nor  any  member  thereof,  to  be  assailed 
in  her  presence  without  assuming  their 
defense.  Were  the  shortcomings  of  indi- 
viduals recalled  she  was  sure  to  find 
counter  traits  of  character  ■  and  the  profession  she  always  de- 
fended with  her  might. 

On  one  occasion  while  returning  from  Europe,  she  was  sitting 
on  deck  occupied  with  a  book.  Her  husband  sat  near  reading 
a  newspaper ;  and  neither  noticed  a  group  of  fellow-passengers 
consisting  of  two  elderly  ladies,  three  gentlemen  and  a  young 
lady,  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  elderly  couples,  all  of  whom 
were  settled  for  a  friendly  gossip.  It  appeared  that  the  young 
lady's  parents,  the  mother  especially,  were  so  radical  in  their 
religious  belief  as  to  be  intolerant  of  every  one  who  differed 
with  them  in  opinion.  One  of  the  gentlemen  was  a  liberal 
minister  whose  acquaintance  they  had  formed  during  the  voy- 
age, through  some  slight  favor  rendered,  and  they  were  igno- 
rant of  his  creed. 

Their  conversation  ran  from  one  thing  to  another,  until  the 
divine  chanced  to  mention  his  parish,  when   to  the  surprised 


Defends  Her  Profession.  71 

inquiry  from  the  lady  as  to  what  denomination  he  belonged,  he 

replied:  "I  am  pastor  of Universalis!  church,  Chicag 

She  looked  aghast,  and  after  giving  tin'  Liberals  a  Booring   -aid 
her  principal  criticism  of  them  was  their  defense  of  the  81 
The  minister  courteously  defended   his  creed,  and  mentioned 
the  names  of  several  of  the  dramatic  and  operatic  profess 
whose  purity  of  character  is  unquestioned. 

His  opponent  made  war  upon  the  profession  generally, 
asserting  that  as  a  unit  they  lightly  regarded  the  marriage  vow; 
said  she  would  as  soon  her  daughter  would  become  a  member 
of  the  demi  monde  at  once  as  to  go  by  the  "stage  route,"  and 
finally  challenged  the  minister  to  mention  a  woman  <>i  the  pro- 
fession who  was  living  with  a  man  she  had  married  five  years 
before;  saying,  -I  don't  believe  there  is  one." 

This  was  more  than  the  singer-wife  could  endure,  and  jump- 
ing to  her  feet  she  remarked,  "Then  behold  me;  1  have  been 
on  the  stage  more  than  eleven  years,  and  half  that  time  have 
lived  with  the  gentleman  at  my  side:  not  half  BO  good  a  wile 
as  he  deserves,  but  at  Leasl  rewarding  his  love  with  a  devotion 
and  fidelity  no  one  Living  dare  question." 

The  clergyman,  who.  although  a  personal  friend,  had  not  rec- 
ognized her  or  her  husband,  or  even  known  they  were  fellow 
passengers,  took  her  hand,  gladly  witnessing  her  testimony  and 
commending  her  defense  of  her  profession.  During  the  re 
mainder  of  the  journey  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wetherell  were  watched 
by  the  radicals  as  a  pair  of  curiosities  or  freaks. 

Similar  to  this  was  the  prima  donna's  experience  at  Nashville, 
Tenn., which  has  since  her  death  been  told  in  everj  waj  but  the 
true  one;  and  said  to  have  occurred  in  everj  city  south  of 
Mason  and  Dixon's  Line  except  Nashville.  The  week  had  not 
been  a  heavy  one  with  the  Company,   Still    it   was  not  an  en 

mentof  which  to  complain,  and  M  was  a  curious  fact  thai  on 
the  heaviest  eights  the  audience  was  well  sprinkled  with  mem 

berg  0f  the  Presbyterian  parish:  and  even  some  of  the 

church  members  themselves  were  there 
Their  pastor  having  heard  of  their  frivolity,  had  prepared  a 


72  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

sermon  for  the  following  Sabbath  on  sinful  amusements,  and 
bore  clown  with  especial  emphasis  upon  the  stage  and  the  opera 
in  particular.  Asserting  that  a  number  of  his  congregation 
had  attended  the  performances  of  the  week,  he  denounced  them 
as  in  league  with  hell  and  abetting  Satan. 

Then  he  dwelt  at  length  upon  the  evils  of  stage  life,  its  ten- 
dency to  intemperance,  lack  of  respect  for  the  marriage  vow, 
etc.,  reviewed  the  private  lives  of  McCullough,  Bernhardt  and 
others,  with  the  facts  of  which  the  public  has  often  been  re- 
galed, and  in  sweeping  terms  denounced  all  as  one  ;  the  male 
members  intemperate,  dishonorable,  the  females  impure,  un- 
womanly. 

In  the  audience  was  a  stranger,  who,  attired  with  exceeding 
modesty,  had  unassumingly  dropped  in  almost  unobserved  at 
the  beginning  of  the  service,  and  been  ushered  to  a  seat  with- 
out revealing  her  identity.  Had  the  sermon  been  gospel,  she 
would  have  departed  as  she  entered,  unknown  and  unheard ; 
but  her  wrath  was  aroused,  and  some  one  was  sure  to  hear  from 
her.  When  the  minister  ceased  speaking  and  asked  God's 
blessing  on  "the  truths  (?)  just  spoken, "  etc. ,  he  took  his 
hymn-book  and  made  ready  to  announce  the  closing  hymn, 
when,  to  his  astonishment,  a  lady  near  the  center  aisle  arose 
and  said  ' '  I  cannot  refrain  from  expressing  my  indignation 
that  a  minister  ordained  to  preach  Christ  should  so  far  forget 
his  mission,  and  so  far  depart  from  truth  as  to  make  the  asser- 
tions to  which  I  have  listened,  regarding  the  profession  of 
which  I  am,  I  trust,  an  honored  member.  There  are  among 
us  men  and  woman  who  have  sinned,  as  there  are  men  in  every 
calling  of  life  who  have  disgraced  their  profession. 

' '  I  have  known  men  who  had  taken  upon  themselves  the  vows 
of  the  clergy,  and  been  ordained  to  that  holy  calling,  who  have 
fallen  as  low  as  man  can  fall,  and  I  have  known,  I  know  to-day, 
men  and  women  in  my  own  profession  against  whom  no  breath 
of  suspicion  or  slander  has  been  cast.  There  are  Jenujr  Lincl, 
Christine  Nihlsson,  Clara  Louise  Kellogg,  Miss  Cary,  Pauline 
l'Allemana,  Charlotte  Cushman,  Parepa  Rosa,  Mary  Andersou, 


Abbott  as  Marguerite  in  Faust. 


Abbotfs  Pm*,;  Sermon. 

Madame  Rhea.  Mrs.  W.  J.  Florence,  Georgie  Drew,  and  Emma 

Abbott,  if  you  will.     Find  a  stain  oa  the  character  of  or* 
these,  or   of    scores   of    others  I  might  name,  before  you  de- 
nounce a  profession  which  can  be  followed  with  hearts  as  pure, 
and  lives  irreproachable  as  may  your  own." 

So  completely  was  the  audience  in  sympathy  with  the  iui 
promptu  speaker  that  they  applauded  heartily. 

During  the  reading  of  the  hymn  entitled  ••All  Bail  the 
Power  of  Jesus'  Name"'  a  gentleman  from  the  remote  Bide  of 
the  room  handed  Miss  Abbott  a  hymn-book,  and  she  entered  <>n 
the  familiar  tune  "  Coronation,"  to  find  at  the  end  of  the 
second  line  she  was  singing  a  solo  with  organ  accompanimenl 
She  sang  to  the  close  when  another  burst  of  applause  preceded 
the  benediction.  After  service  many  members  of  the  congre- 
gation met  the  lady  at  the  door  and  extended  to  her  assurance 
of  their  commendation  and  high  esteem. 

On  reaching  her  room  at  the  hotel,  she  burst  into  a  hearty  tit 
of  laughter,  which  to  her  husband  seemed  a  strange  frame  of 
mind  in  which  to  return  from  church,  and  he  inquired  the 
cause.  "Well,  'G-ene, "  was  the  reply,  "I  didn't  carrj  on  the 
entire  service,  but  I  did  very  nearly  ;  I  prayed,  pleached,  and 
sang."  " I  can  account  for  the  singing  and  praying"  said  he, 
"but  not  the  preaching."  ••!  preached  a  sermon,  and  a  good 
one,  too.  after  the  minister  had  concluded  a  long  one,  He 
didn't  get  a  hand,  while  the  entire  house  applauded  me,  and 
wanted  an  encore,  but  I  wouldn't  have  it  thai  way  .  "  and  she 
proceeded  to  relate  theincidents  of  the  morning,  concluding  with. 
•'What  do  you  think  of  that?"  "I  think,"  replied  Mr.  Wether 
ell,  "that  Othello's  occupation's  gone,  and  that  you  have  do  fur- 
ther need  of  my  services,  at  least  in  the  line  <>f  advertising. 

On  a  journey  across  the  continent,  a  minister  who  was  travel- 
ing in  the  same  car,  evidently  thoughl  it  an  opportunity  to  do  a 
little  missionary  work  and  took  occasion  to  introduce  himself  to 
Miss  Abbott  and  remonstrate  with  her  on  the  evils  of  the  lite 
she  led.  She  listened  with  due  courtesy  until  lie  paused,  then 
replied:   "I  know  I  am  far  from  perfect,   and  my  life  la   nol 


74  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

without  its  faults ;  but  for  ray  profession  I  have  no  apologies  to 
offer.  You  are  supposed  to  teach  morality  and  right-doing  from 
the  pulpit,  and  I  hold  that  there  are  lessons  given  from  the 
stage  daily  which  may  go  as  far  toward  elevating  the  world's 
morals  as  does  your  preaching.  If  you  condemn  all  actors  for 
the  misdeeds  of  one,  and  allow  me  the  same  privilege  regarding 
your  own  profession  I  must  conclude  they  are  a  rascally  lot, 
because  the  meanest  man  I  ever  knew  was  a  dishonest,  hypo- 
critical preacher.  But,  sir,  I  am  not  so  ungenerous.  I  rever- 
ence your  calling,  while  I  regret  your  individual  narrowness. " 

That  night  a  collision  occurred  which  might  have  proven 
exceedingly  disastrous,  but  was  averted  as  by  a  miracle.  The 
minister  was  the  worst  scared  passenger  of  the  lot,  and  in 
speaking  of  the  matter  the  following  morning,  remarked,  ' '  We 
were  certainly  saved  by  chance  last  night."  "No,  not  by 
chance,"  answered  Miss  Abbott,  "our  heavenly  Father  has 
work  for  us  yet  to  do ;  you  in  the  pulpit,  I  on  the  stage."  The 
reverend  gentleman  made  no  reply,  but  his  countenance  indi- 
cated his  surprise  that  one  would  dare  associate  his  name  with 
that  of  a  member  of  the  operatic  profession,  and  he  evidently 
considered  her  view  of  the  matter  a  sacreligious  one. 

Her  generosity  towards  members  of  her  company  was  almost, 
if  not  quite,  unparalled  in  the  history  of  the  profession.  If  a 
member  of  her  company  were  ill,  she  gave  all  possible  time  for 
recovery,  before  arranging  for  a  permanent  successor ;  in  the 
interval  sending  fruit,  flowers,  and  such  luxuries  as  are  always 
grateful  to  the  sick.  Many  bills  for  medical  attendance  for  the 
members  of  her  company  were  also  settled  by  her.  Miss  Krause, 
one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  chorus,  has  for  two  years 
been  quite  ill,  and  it  was  at  times  feared  she  might  be  compelled 
to  resign.  Early  in  the  beginning  of  the  last  season  she  was 
taken  down,  and  at  Milwaukee  found  herself  too  weak  to  ac- 
company the  rest  to  St.  Paul.  Daily  the  leader  inquired  after 
her,  and  when  it  was  feared  she  would  be  unable  to  join  them 
said,  "Wire  her  to  come  on  where  we  can  see  that  she  has 
good  care.     I  dislike  to  leave  her  there  alone. "     At  Christmas 


AUotfa    Will. 

all  were  liberally  remembered,  and  one  of  the  sweetest  mem- 
ories the  company  retains  is  of  their  Christmas  supper  and 
tree  at  Los  Angeles,  California,  just  one  week  before  Misa 
Abbott's  last  appearance  on  the  stage. 

The  mention  of  Miss  Abbott's  liberality  toward  the  members 
of  her  company  recalls  the  subject  of  the  unfavorable  com- 
ments upon  the  will  recently  admitted  to  Probate,  and  although 
mention  of  that  paper  would  logically  occur  later  in  the  work, 
this  seems  a  fitting  place  to  call  attention  to  a  tew  facts  in  the 
case. 

Perhaps  no  will  ever  made  by  an  American  has  been  so 
much  discussed,  and  by  some  persons  so  severely  criticised  as 
has  this.  Those  who  condemn  its  terms  arc  however,  few, 
and  by  the  greater  number  of  persons  the  evident  intent  of  the 
maker  is  regarded  as  highly  wise  and  benevolent  To  her 
friends  the  fact  is  apparent  that  the  aforesaid  will  was  not  made 
in  the  expectation  that  death  would  occur  ere  she  was  permitted 
to  make  a  succeeding  one,  or  add  to  this  such  codicils  as  she 
might  sep  fit.  She  was  about  to  go  abroad  and  feeling  that  ac- 
cident might  occur  to  her.  having  in  mind  certain  persons  mid 
charities  she  wished  remembered,  named  such  to  her  business 
agents  who  drew  up  a  paper  embodying  those  suggestions,  and 
she  signed  it.  Thatshe  hoped,  and  confidently  expected,  to  live 
many  years  is  known  by  her  friends,  and  had  even  two  years 
more  been  granted  her,  she  would  have  remembered  some  of 
those  who  were  omitted  in  the  will,  either  by  Legacy  <>r  persona] 
bestowal.  Among  these  are  Rosa,  her  faithful  attendant,  and 
W.  II.  XcCormack,  her  property  man  and  a  devoted  employee. 

In  some  instances  the  press  has  been  especially  cruel  in  its 
criticisms,  because  she  did  not  remember  the  members  of    her 

company,   manager,    principals    and    chorus.       Had    Bhe    I □ 

aware  before  she  was  too. ill  to  think  or  talk,  that  the  end  was 
so  near,  the  chorus  would  probably  have  been  provided  Cor,  at 
least  those  who  had  served  her  for  any  Length  of  time.  Bui 
there  was  no  time  for  such  business  after  she  was  stricken,  for 
with  her  the  beginning  was  the  end.     As  for  Manager  Pratt, 


76  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

and  the  principals  of  the  company-,  all  had  received  large  sala- 
ries, and  if  they  are  not  beyond  the  need  of  legacies,  it  is  be- 
cause they  are,  or  have  been,  improvident.  Besides,  Manager 
Pratt  had,  at  the  close  of  the  preceding  season,  given  Miss  Ab- 
bott notice  that  at  the  close  of  the  season  of  '90  and  '91  he 
would  retire  from  the  management,  and  she  had  already  en- 
tered into  negotiations  with  his  successor.  To  give  to  the  rich 
was  not  her  custom,  and  by  the  terms  of  her  will  she  did  not 
in  a  single  instance  make  a  bestowal  which  places  the  recipient 
bej'ond  the  need  of  careful  investment  and  econonry ;  and  on 
the  other  hand,  if  her  wishes  are  fulfilled,  hundreds  will  be 
rendered  comfortable. 


CHAPTER    X. 


N  the  season  of  '87  "Ruy   Bias"  was  added  to 
;  the  company's  repertoire,  and  up  to  that  time  its 
members  had   given    no   grander   performance. 
j  The  costumes  were  exceedingly  fine,   Miss    \  b 
bott  having  spent  weeks  of  research   in  the  do- 
termination  that  every  detail  of  the  presentation 
should  be  historically  correct. 

Three  of  the  most  elegant  costumes  Worth  ever  made  were 
ordered,  and  were  marvels  of  beauty. 

The  first  was  of  white  silk,  embroidered  in  a  mass  of  blos- 
soming vines  in  Nature's  colors.  In  and  out  among  the  Foliage 
flitted  humming  birds,  so  true  in  form,  color  and  apparent 
motion,  that  one  could  fancy  he  heard  the  buzzing  of  their 
wings.  The  immense  train  seemed  to  add  to  the  stature  of  the 
wearer,  and  gave  her  a  truly  royal  appearance.      This  costume 

was  valued  at  many  hundreds  of  dollars,  and  is  one  of  the  -I 

charming  of  the  Abbott  collection.  Another  l!uv  Bias  dress 
was  of  amber  and  ruby  velvet,  with  an  immense  mantle  of  the 
latter  deeply  bordered  with  ermine.  A  crown  of  precious 
stones  (a  fac  simile  of  the  crown  of  Spain),  and  two  elegant 
fans  were  accessories  of  these  costumes.      The   lasl   an    dress 


78  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

was  of  black  velvet  and  satin  brocade,  the  design  a  laurel  leaf, 
and  woven  especially  for  the  Abbott  wardrobe.  With  this 
dress  the  mimic  queen  wore  her  entire  collection  of  gems  ar- 
ranged in  a  Maltese  cross,  which  extended  diagonally  across 
the  front  of  the  bodice,  and  when  thus  attired  was  thought  by 
many  of  her  admirers  to  make  her  most  elegant  appearance. 

During  the  summer  of  1888  Miss  Abbott  worked  very  hard, 
looking  over  in  Paris,  London  and  Florence,  old  newspaper  and 
magazine  files,  and  searching  in  all  probable  places  for  descrip- 
tions, criticisms,  etc.,  of  Norma,  as  presented  in  the  past, 
studying  the  details  of  costumes,  properties,  etc. ,  and  bestowing 
much  time  under  Madame  LaGrange  to  the  vocalization.  Be- 
sides Norma  she  studied  one  or  two  other  operas,  with  a  view 
to  their  production  during  the  season. 

Returning  late  in  August  the  annual  "call"  was  issued  for 
the  second  week  in  September,  and  rehearsals  for  Norma  began. 
Two  weeks  later  the  regular  season  opened  in  Detroit,  and 
enjoyed  four  of  the  most  prosperous  months  of  its  existence. 
They  sang  in  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  Minneapolis,  St.  Paul  and 
Omaha,  thence  with  a  few  stops  to  the  Pacific  coast.  At  every 
point  they  were  greeted  by  crowded  houses,  and  in  San  Fran- 
cisco during  a  month's  engagement  at  the  Baldwin  Theater 
there  was  no  lessening  of  the  patronage  or  diminution  of 
enthusiasm. 

Up  to  this  time  Mr.  Wetherell  had  been  with  the  company, 
but  on  the  return  trip  left  the  management  with  his  partner, 
Mr.  Pratt,  and  hastened  over  the  mountains  to  arrange  some 
business  at  points  where  he  and  his  wife  held  valuable  real 
estate,  promising  to  meet  her  en  route.  The  days  of  separation 
had  almost  expired,  and  the  devoted  wife  was  hastening  as  fast 
as  steam  and  time  could  cany  her,  toward  the  meeting  place. 
That  very  morning  she  remarked  with  childish  enthusiasm, 
"Just  a  few  hours  more,  Dan,  and  we'll  meet  our  husband." 
Mr.  Consadine  assented,  and  tried  to  enter  into  her  mood,  but 
his  heart  was  troubled.  He  had  received  a  telegram  from  Mr. 
Wetherell  mentioning  his  indisposition,  and  this  he  withheld 


Sad  Tidings  of  Mr.    Wether eW 8  Death.  7:' 

from  the  wife,  knowing  her  nervous,  apprehensive  temperament 
That  morning  he  should  have  received  another  message,  notify- 
ing him  of  time  and  place  he  would  meet  the  company.  It  did 
not  arrive,  and  negligence  in  such  matters  was  unknown  to  Mi 

Wetherell.  At  every  station  he  inquired,  but  was  met  with  tin- 
same  reply,  "Nothing  here." 

On  January  5th,  1889,  as  the  train  pulled  into  Garden  City, 
Kansas,  a  messenger  boarded  the  sleeper,  saying,  "Where  is 
Miss  Abbott?  Emma  Abbott?  1  have  a  message  Cor  her."  Be 
was  told  by  Mr.  Consadine  that  the  lady  occupied  the  drawing- 
room,  and  that  the  message  if  given  him  (Consadine)  would 
be  delivered  to  her.  The  messenger  hesitated,  Baying  he  was 
told  to  deliver  it  in  person,  but  finally  yielded  and  gave  it  to 
the  secretary,  who  going  to  Miss  Abbotts  door,  knocked,  and 
as  was  his  custom,  handed  in  the  message.  For  a  moment  all 
within  was  still ;  then  the  door  opened  and  Miss  Abbott,  pale 
as  if  death  had  chilled  her  vitals,  changed  as  if  a  whole  decade 
had  passed  over  her  in  those  ten  minutes,  with  eyes  glaring 
like  those  of  a  maniac,  appeared.  '-Who  has  dared  to  bring 
such  tidings  to  me?  "Who  has  dared  to  do  this  dreadful  <\^^\'- 
I  say,  who  dares  to  bring  me  such  news?"  gasped  she.  looking 
from  one  to  another,  and  pointing  to  the  fatal  yellow  paper. 

One  read  it,  then  another,  then  bowed  their  heads  in  rever- 
ence for  her  great  sorrow.  She  returned  to  the  drawing  room 
and  said,  "Leave  me  alone;  I  wish  to  be  alone.  For  a  few 
moments,  which  to  those  outside  seemed  an  eternity,  all  was 
silent  as  the  grave,  and  many  hearts  were  apprehensive  lesi  the 
shock,  so  terrible  in  its  import,  so  sudden,  might  unbalance 
the  mind  of  the  woman  thus  bereaved.  After  a  time  she  was 
heard  sobbing  and  praying,  and  they  knew  she  was  saved 
Then  she  joined  the  members  of  the  company  and  said,  ••  I 
want  to  think  of  him  as  living:  T  cannot  think  him  dead  .  and 
she  related  incident  after  incident,  and  pleasing  reminiscences 
of  their  acquaintance,  courtship  and  married  life.  Bui  when 
for  a  moment  conversation  faltered,  and  the  realization  that  she 
was  a  widow,  that  her  husband  was  gone  forever,  came  to  hei 


80  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

soul,  her  grief  was  pitiful.  The  scene  where  she  entered  the 
presence  of  her  loved  dead  was  pathetic  too  ;  but  that  hour  was 
sacred  to  herself  and  her  God  ;  and  over  it  the  veil  of  hallowed 
silence  should  fall. 

Mr.  "Wetherell  was  buried  at  Gloucester,  Mass.,  his  early 
home,  and  at  present  the  home  of  his  family.  Of  this  inter- 
ment Miss  Abbott  afterward  said,  ' '  I  don't  know  why  I  buried 
my  husband  there,  because  it  was  no  longer  his  home,  and  was 
not  for  years  before  I  knew  him.  New  York  City  was  his 
home  and  mine ;  and  had  he  ever  expressed  a  wish  regarding 
his  burial,  I  am  certain  it  would  have  been  that  he  might  rest 
in  beautiful  Greenwood.  He  admired  it  so  much  and  has  said 
to  me,  'Emma,  this  is  the  loveliest  spot  on  earth. '  Once  when 
I  was  advocating  cremation,  and  speaking  of  the  horror  of 
being  laid  awaj7  in  the  cold,  damp  earth,  he  remarked,  'It 
wouldn't  be  so  terrible  to  be  buried  in  Greenwood  ;  that  is  a 
perfect  Paradise.' " 

After  arrangements  for  Mr.  Wetherell's  funeral,  Mr.  C.  H. 
Pratt,  associate  manager,  called  the  company  together,  and  laid 
before  them  Miss  Abbott's  proposition  to  give  them  a  two 
weeks'  rest  on  half  salaiy,  at  the  end  of  which  time  she  would 
decide  whether  or  not  she  would  resume  her  work.  It  is  need- 
less to  say  that  every  member  of  the  company  gladly  acceded 
to  the  proposition,  and  Messrs.  Pratt,  Consadine,  and  several 
of  the  principals  accompanied  the  widow  on  her  sad  journey. 

The  testimonials  of  sympathy  received  b}7  Miss  Abbott  dur- 
ing that  journey  gave  her  much  pleasure,  indicating  as  they  did 
a  degree  of  popularity  and  esteem  of  which  she  did  not  dream. 
Scores  of  telegrams  sent  while  she  was  en  route  were  followed 
by  letters  of  condolence  when  she  returned  West,  all  expressing 
love  and  esteem  ;  and  heartfelt  sympathy  in  her  great  affliction. 

As  soon  as  the  sad  rites  were  over,  and  the  wife  had  bidden 
a  temporary  adieu  to  Gloucester,  the  memory  of  the  loneliness 
of  the  place  seemed  to  depress  her  ;  and  the  determination  was 
at  once  formed  to  remove  her  husband's  remains  to  Greenwood, 
and  erect  there  the  finest  monument  of  the  time.    Kernembering 


Abbott  as  Queen  of  Spain,  Act  I.,  Rir 


lit/1  Oic    It-  ■■  uest  ReJ  v  l 

that  this  was  the  only  remaining  service  she  could  render  t<>  the 
loved  one,  she  derived  comfort  from  consulting  with  others 
(her  friends  and  his)  regarding  plans,  designs  and  materials  for 
a  grand  mausoleum. 

The  law  of  Massachusetts  gives  a  mother  the  right  to  refuse 
to  allow  even  the  wife  to  disinter  and  remove  the  body  of  her 
husband  when  once  buried.  And  yet  Miss  Abbott  little 
dreamed  that  she  who  loved  her  husband  so  devotedly;  who 
had  lavished  upon  him  the  Itest  years  of  her  life,  and  who  now 
that  he  was  gone,  would  have  spent  half  her  fortune  to  perpetr 
uate  his  memoiy,  would  meet  with  a  refusal  on  the  pari  of  his 
mother  to  allow  her  to  carry  out  her  plans. 

The  mother's  home  is,  and  has  been  for  years,  at  Gloucester. 
There  she  had  reared  her  family,  and  there  her  husband  and 
other  near  relatives  are  buried.  There  the  remains  of  her  son 
were  laid,  and  to  her  it  seemed  like  sacrilege  to  disturb  them. 
The  cemetery  is,  to  lovers  of  the  sea.  a  charming  one,  and  the 
mother  doubtless  derives  much  comfort  from  the  privilege  of 
visiting  the  grave  of  her  son,  a  privilege  she  felt  would  per- 
haps never  be  hers,  were  he  interred  in  an  adjoining  state. 
She  reasoned,  of  course,  from  a  loving  mother's  standpoint, 
while  Miss  Abbott  could  see  only  through  the  tears  of  a  faith- 
ful devoted  wife,  desirous  of  doing  her  husband  all  possible 
honor,  and  giving  to  the  public,  to  which  both  had  ever  fell  ex- 
tremely grateful  for  the  patronage  which  broughl  them  wealth 
and  fame,  the  privilege  of  visiting  his  last  resting  place.  I'. 
sides  she  felt  that  Greenwood  were  a  more  appropriate  place  Cor 
the  monument  she  intended  to  erect  to  his  memory. 

In  the  excitement  attendant  upon  the  refusal  of  her  request, 
Miss  Abbott  at  first  said,  "I  will  abandon  my  plans  Cora  mon 
ument.  I  do  not  wish  to  call  the  attention  of  a  single  bou!  to  the 
fact  that  my  husband  lies  in  that  lonely  spot  when I\  the  an- 
gry roar  of  the  waves,  and  the  wail  of  the  Beagull  are  heard.       It' 

his  body  must  remain  here,  the  mo oenl  which  tells  of  bisvir- 

tues  and  perpetuates  his  memory  may  lie  erected  in  beautiful 
Greenwood,  where  it  will  be  seen  by  the  public  that   we  both 


82  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

loved,  the  public  to  whose  encouragement  and  patronage  we  owe 
all  that  we  have  and  are.     I  know  that  would  be  his  wish. " 

But  when  the  burst  of  passionate  grief  had  subsided,  the 
generous  nature,  for  which  hundreds  to-day  hold  her  in  loving 
remembrance,  became  dominant,  and  the  orders  for  a  monu- 
ment of  great  cost  and  exceeding  beauty  were  placed.  Not  only 
so,  but  in  her  will  Miss  Abbott  remembered  her  husband's 
mother  as  generously  as  if  her  request  had  been  granted. 

The  press  of  some  sections  of  the  country  has  said  some  ex- 
tremely bitter  things  concerning  the  decision  which  caused  Miss 
Abbott  such  intense  grief,  but  those  who  are  tempted  to  judge 
hastily  should  remember,  that  for  centuries,  mothers  and  wives 
have  contended  for  the  place  of  honor  in  men's  hearts,  and  the 
question  of  which  has  the  better  right,  will  never  be  settled. 

The  thought  of  returning  to  the  stage  and  travelling  eight 
months  of  the  year  without  her  husband,  to  whom  she  had  ap- 
pealed for  decisions  even  in  the  commonest  affairs  of  life,  seemed 
too  sad  to  be  entertained.  If  free  from  the  demands  of  her  pro- 
fession, she  might  travel,  and  amid  changing  scenes,  and  new 
friends,  find  temporary  forgetfulness  of  her  terrible  loss. 

With  most  mortals  the  first  thought  is  of  self,  and  one's  own 
happiness,  but  Emma  Abbott  remembered  her  company.  She 
remembered  that  the  season  was  onl}*  well  under  way,  that  the 
holida}Ts  were  just  over,  and  few  of  the  members  had  yet  saved 
anything  to  tide  them  over  the  summer  vacation,  and  said,  ' '  I 
must  for  their  sakes  return  to  my  work."  Each  member  was 
notified  of  her  decision,  and  in  Memphis,  just  two  weeks  from 
the  time  that  sad  telegram  disbanded  them,  they  again  greeted 
their  loved  leader,  and  opened  in  Ruy  Bias. 

Then  unfeeling  reporters  and  would-be-smart  paragraphers, 
began  a  series  of  attacks  upon  the  woman  who  could  (as  they 
put  it)  so  soon  forget  her  sorrow,  and  take  up  a  profession  that 
required,  in  many  of  its  roles,  the  semblance  of  gaj-ety.  These 
thrusts  almost  prostrated  her ;  and  to  Mrs.  S.  C.  Hazlett, 
of  Cincinnati,  a  journalist  of  that  city  who  warmly  defended 
her  action,  and  commended  its  unselfishness,  she  said,  "How 


11  r  Grief  Inconsolable. 

could  I  have  clone  otherwise?     My  company  are  perfectly 
voted  to  me.     They  are  my  family,  and  I  could  aot  be  bo  Belfiso 
as  to  strand  them  in  mid-winter,  and  leave  them   unprovided 
for.     Xo,  I  must,    I  will  set  my  own  feelings  aside,  and  do  all 

I  can  for  them.  " 

And  so  she  sang  and  played  her  parts,  to-night  a  queen,  at 
to-morrow's  matinee  a  peasant  girl,  and  in  the  evening,  a  giddy 
girl  of  fashion,  or  "maid  from  school  ;"  and  returning  to  her 
roomed  grieved  and  mourned  and  prayed,  alone. 

In  a  letter  to  her  father  written  about  this  time,  she  said:  •  •  1 
sing  at  two  performances  to-day,  but  my  heart  is  so  sad.  It  is 
just  two  months  since  dear  'Gene  died,  and  it  seems  as  it'  1  had 
been  years  alone.  How  little  I  thought  when  I  last  saw  him, 
the  picture  of  health  and  happiness,  that  in  less  than  a  week  he 
would  be  lying  in  his  coffin. " 

One  year  later  she  wrote  from  San  Antonio.  Texas,  '-To- 
morrow will  be  the  anniversary  of  my  precious  husband's  death, 
and  it  seems  almost  cruel  that  I  must  sing.  Oh,  my  darling 
father,  words  cannot  tell  you  how  lonely  I  am.  It  is  just  as 
hard  to  keep  back  the  tears  now,  as  it  was  the  week  he  died. " 

Of  the  domestic  life  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wetherell  much  may 
be  said  that  is  tender  and  true.  To  him,  she  was  more  than 
Abbott  the  star,  who  was  to  bring  him  wealth  and  fame,  she 
was  the  ideal  woman  and  wife,  loving,  kind  and  faithful;  and 
living  in  her  presence  day  by  day  for  3'ears,  he  saw  main  ol 
her  charming  characteristics  which  those  who  met  her  casually 
failed  to  discern;  and  he  soon  learned  to  look  upon  her  as  in- 
dispensable to  his  existence.  He  often  said.  Hut  Cor  her 
hopefulness  and  faith  in  the  future,  I  would  more  than  once 
have  lost  heart  during  our  first  years  out;  for  it  was  certainly 
up-hill  work  to  gain  a  foothold,  and  overcome  the  prejudices  of 
Americans  who  declared  that  English  opera  could  n<>t  prosper." 

To  his  wife,  Eugene  Wetherell  was  nol  as  are  the  husbands 
of  man}-  stage  stars,  merely  a  manager  who  saw  in  their  union 
the  wajr  to  a  fortune;  but  the  one  of  all  the  world  thai  her 
heart  as   well  as  her  reason   chose:   he  was  kin-  ol'  her  little 


84  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

world,  and  the  love  and  admiration  he  lavished  upon  her  for  so 
many  years,  was  repaid  by  fidelity  in  word,   thought  and  deed. 

In  hours  of  adversity  she  cheered  him,  his  prosperity  she  joy- 
fully shared,  and  stood  ever  ready  to  second  his  efforts  in  any 
enterprise  he  might  undertake.  So  blended  were  their  aims, 
their  tastes,  their  interests,  their  souls  and  lives,  that  when  the 
sad  blow  fell  which  took  him  from  her  side  she  forgot  fame, 
fortune  and  friends ;  and  only  remembered  that  in  this  great 
world  she  was  left  alone. 

Less  than  six  months  before  her  death  she  received  an  offer 
of  marriage  from  a  gentleman  of  national  reputation,  possessed 
of  a  fortune  which  exceeded  her  own  ;  one  whose  love  and  ad- 
miration would  honor  any  lady,  and  who  saw  in  her  one  who 
would  grace  his  home  and  adorn  society  both  at  home  and 
abroad,  the  peer  of  any  woman  living. 

While  she  appreciated  the  honor  accorded  her,  she  remained 
a  widow,  because  of  her  love  and  respect  for  the  memory  of  the 
man  who  had  no  small  part  in  making  her  fortune  and  winning 
her  fame. 


CHAPTER  XL 


R.  C.  H.  PRATT  had  for  a  Dumber  of 
years  been  associated  with  Mr.  WethereU 
i  as  manager  and  proprietor,  and  at  her 
husband's  death,  Miss  Abbott  succeeded 
him  as  part  proprietor.  Mr.  Pratt  assum- 
ing the  position  of  sole  manager.  At 
the  close  of  the  season  of  '89  and  '90  Pratt  notified  Miss  Ab- 
bott that  when,  at  the  end  of  the  following  season,  his  contract 
should  expire,  he  would  withdraw  from  the  partnership.  This 
decision  was  not  the  result  of  unpleasantness  or  disagreements 
between  the  partners,  but  Mr.  Pratl  was  weary  of  continual 
travel,  and  preferred  a  business  which  would  permit  him  to  en- 
joy the  comforts  of  home  and  the  society  of  his  family. 

On  the  announcement  of  Mr.  Pratt's  decision,  .Miss  Abbotl 
began,  in  her  own  mind  at  least  to  form  plans  Cora  tour  of 
Europe  and  the  provinces  with  her  company,  and  during  her 
stay  in  Paris  the  following  summer  consulted  with  European 
managers  regarding  her  proposed  tour. 

Before  going  abroad,  however,  while  Looking  over  the  musty 
stores  of  a  music  collector  in  New  York,  sin-  found  the  score  oi 
Anne  Boleyn,  and  was  al  once  impressed  with  the  tact  that,  if 


86  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

properly  staged  and  presented  in  English,  it  would  prove  a 
great  success.  Ere  she  left  the  store  she  had  concluded  the 
purchase,  and  at  once  arranged  with  Florio  to  translate  it  into 
English,  and  prepare  a  sufficient  number  of  copies  for  her  com- 
pany. 

As  companion  of  her  voyage  and  during  her  stay  in  Paris 
she  chose  Alice  Ellerington,  and  to  the  latter  the  memory  of 
their  journey,  their  visits  to  places  of  interest,  their  drives 
through  the  brilliantly  lighted  streets  of  the  gay  city,  and  more 
than  all  else,  their  hours  of  conversation  when  the  one  was  no 
longer  the  artist  acting  a  part,  but  the  true-heartecl,  confiding 
woman,  telling  to  a  sister  woman  the  tale  of  her  early  struggles 
in  that  same  city,  and  whispering  in  her  ear  the  story  of  the 
heartaches  and  trials  of  later  days  ;  the  memory  of  all  this  is 
sacred.  She  may  live  for  years,  and  enjoy  the  pleasures  that 
gold  may  buy,  but  there  will  never  come  into  her  life  an  experi- 
ence fraught  with  more  real  pleasure  than  that  of  her  last  sum- 
mer in  the  society  of  her  honored  friend. 

One  of  the  first  visits  made  in  Paris  was  to  the  Louvre, 
where  some  of  the  costumes  of  the  ill-fated  Anne  Boleyn  are 
on  exhibition ;  then  to  Worth,  where  they  were  to  be  repro- 
duced. Files  of  old  newspapers  and  magazines,  illustrated 
histories,  everything  that  could  furnish  the  least  information 
regarding  not  only  the  times  of  Henry  VIII.  and  his  unhappy 
consorts,  but  the  production  of  the  opera  more  than  half  a 
century  before,  were  carefully  studied  and  the  information 
gained  put  in  available  form. 

Then  came  long  consultations  with  Worth  and  Felix,  about 
designs,  materials,  etc. ,  and  it  was  found  necessaiy  in  some  in- 
stances to  order  the  manufacture  of  fabrics  at  Lyons. 

Arrangements  were  also  perfected  with  the  celebrated  Ma- 
dame La  Grange  for  a  series  of  lessons  in  dramatical  vocaliza- 
tion, and  with  Madame  Bernhardt  for  rehearsals  in  musical 
tragedy. 

Few  woman  are  possessed  of  sufficient  executive  ability  to 
carry  on  several  enterprises  at  the  same  time,  but  Miss  Abbott 


I  isUs  Obi  rammergau.  37 

was  able  to  look  after  all  the  details  mentioned,  and  at  the  -aim- 
time  find  leisure  for  rest  and  recreation. 

She  had  for  years  entertained  an  intense  desire  to  \  [sit  <  >ber- 
ammergau,  and  witness  the  production  of  the  Passion  Play; 
and  finally,  through  Miss  Ellerington's  perseverance,  was  able  to 
secure  a  ticket  which  had  been  released  by  some  person  unable 
to  make  the  trip. 

A  ticket  purchased  in  Paris  not  only  secures  one's  Beal  at  the 
performance,  hut  lodging  and  a  scat  at  table  during  the  stay. 
A  journey  of  thirty-six  hours  from  Paris  broughl  her  to  the 
quaint  little  Bavarian  village  ;  which  was.  as  ii  always  is  during 
the  presentation  of  the  Passion  Play,  crowded  with  visitors. 
Every  house,  no  matter  how  humble,  in  the  entire  village  was 
full,  eveiy  bed  secured  in  advance,  and  any  who  had  been  so 
careless  as  to  defer  purchase  of  tickets  and  the  securing  of 
accommodations  until  their  arrival  in  the  village,  were  dis- 
appointed. 

"When  Miss  Abbott  reached  the  town  and  was  conducted  to 
her  stopping  place,  she  was  surprised  to  find  it  an  exceedingly 
small  private  abode.  The  room,  which  she  found  she  was  ex 
pected  to  share  with  two  other  ladies  (English  tourist -i.  was  on 
the  second  floor,  access  to  which  was  had  only  by  means  of  a 
ladder.  At  this  the  English  ladies  rebelled,  declaring  they 
could  not  and  would  not  climb  the  ladder,  a  resolution  to  which 
Miss  Abbott  fondly  hoped  they  might  adhere,  that  she  mighl 
occupy  the  room  alone. 

The  apartment  contained  three  hvA>.  and  as  soon  as  possible 
after  the  departure  of  the  tourists,  Miss  A.bbott  paid  for  the 
three,  then  climbed  the  ladder  and  began  :i  survey  of  her  new 
quarters.  A  long  ride  on  a  hot  day  caused  her  to  1c.hl:  Cor  a 
bath,  but  she  ascertained  that  no  such  institution  a-  a  public 
bath  existed  in  the  village.  Neither  were  there  in  her  r n  t In- 
usual  bowl  or  basin  and  pitcher,  lodgers  being  expected  to 
share  the  family  conveniences.  By  summoning  all  the  German 
in  her  vocabulary,  putting  into  practice  her  knowledge  of  pan 
tomine,  and  sprinkling  the  admixture  with  a  lew  coin-,,  she  was 


88  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

able  to  make  the  niaid-of-all-work  comprehend  her  wishes,  and 
a  small  basin  and  pitcher  were  brought  her,  but  no  towels; 
and  her  account  of  the  economy  practiced  by  her  in  the  use  of 
those  which  she  carried  in  her  hand  satchel,  is  intensely 
amusing. 

To  her  the  Passion  Play  as  rendered  by  those  simple-minded 
people,  who  had  never  been  outside  the  little  hamlet  where  they 
were  born,  was  full  of  beauty  and  interest.  The  costumes  were 
of  the  usual  oriental  elegance  and  elaboration,  and  the  acting 
full  of  fervor.  Notwithstanding  the  facts  that  during  the  whole 
afternoon  a  pouring  rain  came  down,  and  two-thirds  of  the 
spectators  were  without  shelter,  that  audience  composed  of 
hundreds  of  tourists,  sat  through  the  entire  performance  of 
eight  hours  without  leaving  their  places.  Miss  Abbott  was  one 
of  those  who  were  favored  with  seats  in  the  sheltered  amphi- 
theater. Her  recitals  of  the  reverential  attention  paid  by  all, 
the  inspiration  of  the  actors  and  the  wonderful  dramatic  power 
with  which  they  invested  the  scenes  of  the  trial  and  crucifixion 
of  the  Savior,  were  exceedingly  interesting,  and  the  recollec- 
tions of  that  little  journey  and  the  brief  stay  among  those 
honest,  simple  minded  people  were  among  her  happiest  ones. 

Many  of  the  days  of  their  sojourn  in  the  French  capital  were 
spent  by  Miss  Abbott  and  her  companion  in  driving  about  the 
parks,  on  the  boulevards,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  famous  build- 
ings. Abbott  loved  Paris  with  something  of  the  devotion  she 
bore  the  metropolis  of  her  native  country,  and  almost  every 
street,  every  building,  hall  of  art  or  place  of  public  entertain- 
ment, was  to  her  a  landmark,  by  which  she  in  fancy  retraced 
her  steps  along  the  old  paths  which  were  sometimes  thorny 
and  rough,  sometimes  rendered  smooth  by  the  love  of  friends, 
but  from  which  she  never  turned  back  when  duty  bade  her 
proceed. 

Those  days  and  experiences,  whether  of  pleasure  or  pain,  she 
loved  to  recall,  and  when  in  a  reminiscent  mood  enlivened  the 
hours  of  a  long  drive  with  their  history.  And  no  wonder  she 
loved  them  all,  the  bitter  with  the  sweet,  for  those  days  of 


Emma  Abbott  as  "  Queen  Anne." 


Absorbed  in  Study.  -  • 

tears  and  struggles  were  the  stepping  stones  to  her  fame,  and 

the  foundations  of  her  beautiful  womanhood. 

The  memory  of  times  when  she  felt  the  need  of  money  and 
friends,  made  her  kinder  to  others  similarly  situated,  while  the 
kindly  criticism,  words  of  encouragement  and  faith  in  her 
future,  nerved  her  to  greater  efforts  and  higher  aspirations. 

Sometimes  on  their  long  drives  she  would  bury  herself  in 
her  books,  and  so  absorbed  would  she  become  in  her  aew  roles, 
she  would  strike  an  attitude,  and  as  she  in  fancy  approached 
the  climax  of  vocalization,  forget  her  surroundings,  and  her 
voice  would  ring  out  on  high  C  in  a  manner  startling  to  specta- 
tors and  amusing  to  her  companion.  One  day  while  1\  hag  back 
on  her  cushions  with  closed  eyes  and  calm  countenance,  she 
suddenly  straightened  herself,  threw  up  her  hands  and  screamed, 
'•Judges;  have  mercy !"  betokening  the  fact  that  her  whole 
being  was  absorbed  in  the  fate  of  Queen  Anne.  When  re. 
minded  that  a  large  and  apparently  appreciative  audience 
surrounded  her  carriage,  she  laughed  as  heartily  as  did  her 
companion. 

The  Americans  resident  in  Paris  were  exceedingly  courteous 
to  Miss  Abbott  and  her  friend,  showing  them  many  graceful  al 
tentions,  and  inviting  the  former  to  take  part  in  soirees,  musi- 
cals, etc.  To  some  of  these  invitations  she  was  forced  to  send 
refusals,  but  she  never  was  known  to  deny  a  requesl  to  ■Mm:  at 
a  patriotic  gathering,  or  charity  benefit. 

Twice  during  the  summer  of  '90  Miss  Abbott  appeared  at 
public  gatherings  in  Paris ;  once  at  the  meeting  of  the  Ameri- 
can Art  Club,  on  the  occasion  of  the  presentation  of  a  beauti- 
ful silk  flag,  the  gift  of  Secretary  Wanamaker,  and  again  at 
the  reception  given  by  .Minister  Whitelaw  lead  on  .Inly  1  1.  the 
French  national  fete  day  which  was  given  to  resident  and  \i>it 
ing  Americans,  and  the  French  diplomatic  corps.  A  program 
had  been  arranged  in  which  Sibyl  Sanderson,  the  beautiful 
young  American  girl,  was  to  participate. 

Being  in  mourning, Miss  Abbotl  did  not  care  to  mingle  with 
the  guests,  yet  was  too  patriotic  to  refuse  an   invitation   from 


90  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

the  ambassador  of  her  country,  so  she  arranged  with  her  com- 
panion to  go  in  street  costume,  pay  their  respects  to  the  Min- 
ister and  Mrs.  Reid,  and  quietly  withdraw.  As  soon,  however, 
as  their  presence  became  known,  Miss  Abbott  was  called  for,  so 
la}ing  aside  her  wrap,  she  went  forward  and  gave  the  aria  from 
Traviata.  At  -its  close  the  house  rang  with  applause,  and  on 
her  recall  she  sang  "Red,  "White  andBlue. "  As  the  strains  of 
the  familiar  old  melody  greeted  the  ears  of  her  countrymen,  their 
patriotic  hearts  responded,  and  as  the  last  notes  died  away  cheer 
after  cheer  arose,  and  another  song  was  demanded.  This  time  it 
was  "  Last  Rose  of  Summer,"  sung  as  none  but  Abbott  ever 
sang  it.  There  was  not  an  American  present  that  evening  who 
was  not  proud  of  the  two  gifted  women  who  had  represented 
the  talent  of  their  native  country,  the  one  just  entered  on  what 
promises  a  brilliant  career,  the  other  having  won,  and  for  some 
years  worn,  the  laurel  leaves  of  Fame. 

There  were  4,000  people  present,  some  of  world-wide  reputa- 
tion ;  among  others  Admiral  Porter,  who  complimented  Miss 
Abbott  on  her  charming  rendering  of  our  national  song,  and 
afterwards  remarked  ' '  None  can  dispute  Emma  Abbott's  right 
to  be  called  'America's  greatest  singer.'  " 

Musical  people  in  Paris,  especially  professionals  and  instruct- 
ors, were  quick  to  discern  in  Abbott's  singing  a  marked  im- 
provement over  other  years,  and  her  voice  revealed  qualities 
which  were  a  revelation  to  them. 

M.  Bourgeoise,  of  the  Opera  Comique,  gave  a  private  musi- 
cal to  Abbott,  and  she  sang  for  him  in  costume,  with  all  the  de- 
tails of  business,  properties,  etc.,  the  "Potion  Scene"  from 
Romeo  and  Juliet,  and  the  "Mad  Scene"  from  Hamlet. 
The  great  musician  went  into  ecstacies  over  her  singing  and 
acting,  and  said,  ' '  I  must  have  you  for  a  season,  and  the 
sooner  the  better." 

Vert,  of  London,  visited  Paris  on  purpose  to  hear  her  sing, 
and  he,  too,  was  delighted  at  prospect  of  a  season  with  Abbott 
as  star.  Had  she  fulfilled  her  plan  of  a  European  tour  with  her 
company,  it  is  probable  that  Vert  would  have  been  her  manager. 


//-  r  X'  •  •   Op<  /■'(.  '.'l 

M.  Audran,  of  Paris,  said.  "Abbott's  Binging  is  beyond  any- 
thing I  had  expected  to  hear,  and  she  should,  with  her  company, 
make  a  tour  of  the  continent"  M.  Audran  is  the  composer 
of  the  score  for  Miss  Abbott's  new  opera,  Cor  which  just  two 
weeks  prior  to  her  death  she  received  the  Boene  plot  Ii  was 
to  be  completed  during  the  summer  oi  '91,  ready  for  rehearsal 
at  the  beginning  of  the  season.  Of  and  Cor  this  opera  Mise 
Abbott  talked  by  day,  dreamed  by  night,  and  planned  contin- 
ually; and  were  it  not  that  God's  doings  arc  not  to  be  ques- 
tioned by  man.  it  would  seem  almost  cruel  thai  she  must  die 
without  seeing  her  desires  fulfilled. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


1  HE  costumes  purchased  during  the  summer 
of  '90  by  Miss  Abbott  were  not  only  the 
most  elegant  and  costly  ever  bought  by  her, 
but  exceeded  both  in  cost  and  beauty  any 
ever  seen  on  any  stage.  To  Worth  and 
Felix  for  costumes  and  accessories  she  paid 
over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  at  times  she  hesitated 
in  her  orders,  saying,  "It  seems  almost  wicked  to  spend  so 
much  on  a  wardrobe. "  Her  ends  in  this  matter  were  not  selfish 
ones.  She  costumed  her  operas  elegantly,  because  the  public 
liked  them,  and  had  learned  to  look  for  them  when  her  company 
appeared.  As  has  been  said  elsewhere,  she  abhorred  sham, 
and  whereas  somber  effects  may  be  attained  in  good  material 
without  extravagant  outlay,  brilliancy,  if  not  sham,  is  neces- 
sarily expensive.  Many  of  her  dresses  were  embroidered  in 
gold  and  silver  thread,  others  had  yards  upon  yards  of  heavily 
jeweled  garniture,  with  beads  and  buttons  of  real  gold  plate. 
Her  materials,  too,  were  the  most  elegant  produced  by  Euro- 
pean looms. 

She  sometimes  remarked,  "The  public  patronize  me  liber- 
ally.     They  pay  good  prices  to  hear  my  operas,   and  expect 


Lucia  Bridal  ( iown. 


The  Lilac  Dress  Described. 

something  in  return  that  is  worth  their  money       Bence  1  con- 
sider  it  my  duty  to  stage  and  costume  my  operas  handsomely. 
Each  of  the  last  ten  years   has   broughl  out   costumes   band 
sorner  than  those  of  its  predecessor,  and  it  seemed  thai  in  the 
season  of  '90  the  acme  of  beauty  had  been  attained. 

The  new  Trovatore  costumes  have  already  been  described 
Ernani  was  added  to  the  repertoire  in  '90,  and  although  its 
costuming  was  of  a  different  order  from  that  of  Anne  Boleyn, 
it  was  no  less  beautiful.  The  first  dress  worn  in  EmanJ 
christened  by  Miss  Abbott  her  -'lilac  dress,'  and  was  among 
her  favorites. 

The  lilac  dress  was  the  one  chosen  in  which  to  robe  her  after 
death  ;  although  at  a  less  exciting  moment,  on  ma  tun'  reflec 
tion  the  Juliet  tomb  dress  would  have  been  selected  as  more 
appropriate.  The  lilac  gown  was  one  of  the  greatesl  works  of 
art  ever  designed  b}-  Worth;  and  was  of  white  moire  antique 
silk  and  lilac  velvet.  The  combination  was  striking,  the  silk 
forming  the  right  side  of  the  dress,  and  the  immense  court 
train.  The  white  half  bodice  crossed  from  the  right  shoulder 
to  the  waist  on  the  left,  joined  at  point  of  starting  and  con 
tinuing  to  the  foot,  by  a  panel  of  lilac  velvet.  The  garniture 
was  embroidery  of  lilac  blossoms,  leaves  and  buds,  in  nature's 
colors,  purple  blossoms  on  the  white,  white  on  the  purple,  and 
extended  from  the  waist  line  on  the  right  side  around  the  train 
to  the  foot  on  the  left,  and  again  up  the  lilac  vcl\ct  panel  to 
the  belt.  The  extreme  foot  of  the  skirt  was  foced  with  velvet 
of  leaf  green,  cut  in  heart  shaped  leaves  and  appliqued  t<>  the 


Note.—  The  author  has,  after  consultation  with  some  of  Miss  Ab- 
bott's friends,  decided  to  give  a  full  descript  i<m  of  the  costumes  of 
the  last  season.  They  were  boughl  for  the  public,  and  the  public 
has  a  right  to  know  what  they  are.  Moreover,  a  ttistoi 
life  would  be  otherwise  incomplete.  It  is  also  desirable  in  this  con- 
nection to  correct  a  false  impression  whirl,  prevails  regarding  the 
disposition  of  her  beautiful  wardrobe,  which  Is  by  many  believed  to 
have  been  burned  by  her  order.  On  the  contrary,  non< 
Abbott's  clothing  was  burned,  excepl  thai  worn  during  her  Illness, 
which  was  according  to  her  physician's  order  destroyed  to  prevent 
possibility  of  contagion.  Her  wardrobe,  stage  and  private,  Isbj  her 
will  bequeathed  to  her  sister,  Mrs.  Clark. 


94  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

skirt.  The  bodice  was  low  and  round  in  front,  with  V  back, 
and  finished  with  tin}'  pipings  of  purple,  white  and  green 
velvet,  veiled  in  tulle. 

The  straight  sleeves  reached  the  elbow,  and  were  formed  of 
bands  of  purple  and  white  velvet  piped  with  green,  crossing  in 
diamonds  ;  the  interstices  being  filled  with  tulle,  and  finished 
to  match  the  neck. 

The  blossoms  were  made  by  a  noted  French  flower-maker, 
and  were  of  satin  and  velvet ;  each  petal  being  laid  in  singly, 
in  the  manner  known  to  artists  of  the  needle  as  applique. 
When  one  recalls  the  fact  that  each  cluster  of  flowers  is  com- 
posed of  hundreds  of  petals,  and  that  hundreds  of  clusters  of 
the  dainty  blossoms  were  used  in  the  ornamentation  of  the  dress, 
an  idea  of  the  work  on  the  gown  may  be  formed.  The  stems 
and  leaves  were  embroidered  in  the  most  intricate  stitches 
known  to  art,  and  that  gown  alone  cost  a  small  fortune. 

The  full  description  of  this  gown  has  been  given,  not  alone 
for  its  artistic  beauty,  and  to  please  those  of  Miss  Abbott's 
friends  who  had  not  seen  it,  but  to  correct  the  scores  of  false 
descriptions  and  comments  upon  the  same.  Newspaper  report- 
ers described  the  funeral  robe  as  "  a  mass  of  ribbons,  lace  and 
gilt  embroidery,"  then  called  it  a  "lilac  dress  ;  "  and  hundreds 
of  her  friends  at  a  distance  have  wondered  at  the  strange  taste 
of  those  who  would  array  one  possessed  of  so  many  exquisite 
gowns,  in  one  so  unsuited  to  the  occasion. 

Another  Ernani  gown  was  of  cream  satin  veiled  in  mousseline 
de  soie,  the  garniture  being  an  ivy  design,  traced  in  gold  plated 
beads.  The  Ernani  bridal  gown  of  ivory  satin  is  almost  cov- 
ered with  old  Venetian  point  lace.  There  is  a  tablier  front  on 
the  skirt,  and  two  deep  bands  of  the  lace  encircle  the  train. 
Double  puffs  of  the  same  head  the  antique  sleeves.  The  bodice 
and  sleeves  have  a  tracery  of  pearls  and  silver  beads.  A  satin 
petticoat  with  embroidery  in  pearls  and  silver  beads,  was  worn 
with  this  exquisite  gown. 

The  last  act  Ernani  costume  is  of  black  satin  brocade,  with  a 
laurel  leaf  design  in  velvet,  and  this  is  one  of   the  gowns  the 


More  Beautiful  1>i 

material  for  which  was  woven  for  Miss  Abbott  after  her  own 
design.  The  garniture  of  this  is  wired  jet,  made  so  as  to  ap- 
pear independent  of  the  dress,  and  covers  it  entire, 

A  complete  new  set  of  dresses  were  purchased  for  "B 
of  Castile, "  that  being  one  of  Abbott's  favorite  roles.  <>ih- 
christened  "  The  Grape  dress,"  is  of  heliotrope  satin,  with  gar- 
niture of  royal  purple  velvet  and  gold  embroidery.  The  Coot 
of  the  skirt  and  train  are  a  mass  of  grape  vines  trailinj 
carelessly  and  gracefully  as  if  placed  by  nature's  hand.  Vines, 
tendrils,  etc.,  are  traced  in  gold,  while  the  bunches  of  ripe 
fruit  are  of  purple  velvet  in  applique,  with  leaves  of  green,  out- 
lined and  veined  in  gold. 

Another  dress  is  of  pale  blue  satin,  embroidered  in  oak  Leaf 
design,  the  leaves  being  of  darker  blue,  outlined  and  veined 
in  silver. 

The  new  Martha  riding  habit  is  a  marvel  of  beauty,  wrought 
in  white  satin,  jeweled  embroidery,  and  emerald  velvet  The 
skirt  of  white  satin  is  draped  high  with  a  massive  jeweled  cord 
and  tassels,  and  reveals  the  emerald  petticoat  bordered  with 
puffs  of  white  satin  held  in  place  by  jeweled  bands.  The 
jacket  is  of  emerald,  slashed  below  the  waisl  Line,  each  poinl 
jeweled,  while  the  sleeves  are  composed  of  puffs  of  satin  and 
jeweled  bands,  to  match  the  rest  of  the  costume. 

The  Bal  Masque  costumes  are  all  of  satin  and  jeweled  vel- 
vet One  of  pale  lilac  satin  has  pansy  purple  hands  ;  another  is 
of  baby  blue  with  azuline  velvet  bands,  while  the  last,  of  rose 
satin,  is  trimmed  with  bands  of  apple  green.  A  peasanl  dress 
is  made  entirely  of  Irish  point,  and  cost  an  immense  sum 

Rehearsals  for  Anne  Boleyn  began  as  aoon  as  Ernani  was 
put  on,  and  to  the  overwork  and  fatigue  caused  by  these  <\ 
hausting  rehearsals,  with  eight  performances  each  week,  may  be 
attributed  Miss  Abbott's  physical  condition  when  attacked  bj 
pneumonia.  She  was  so  completely  exhausted  that,  when  pros 
trated  by  disease,  there  was  nothing  on  which  to  build  recovery. 

She  had  determined  that  her  father  should  see  the  first  pre- 
sentation of   this  opera  in   English,  and  as  Minneapolis  was 


96  Life  of  Ernrna  Abbott. 

reached  early  in  the  season,  the  company,  especially  the  princi- 
pals, were  compelled  to  work  very  hard  to  attain  perfection  in 
their  parts. 

On  the  evening  of  October  9,  Anne  Boleyn  was  put  on  at 
the  Grand  Opera  in  Minneapolis,  and  was  witnessed  by  a  house 
packed  to  the  doors.  None  who  witnessed  her  triumphs  of 
that  evening  and  listened  to  her  mimic  death-song,  dreamed 
that  ere  two  months  had  passed,  that  glorious  voice  would  be 
heard  no  more  on  earth.  The  audience  was  partially  dazed. 
Some  thought  the  charming  air  one  of  the  strange  interpolations 
with  which  the  sougstress  was  accustomed  to  surprise  her 
audience  ;  others  contended  the  air  was  not  ' '  Sweet  Home, " 
and  a  few  knew  the  truth,  that  it  was  the  original  air  from 
whence  our  own  "Sweet  Home"  was  derived;  but  all  agreed 
on  one  point,  that  the  prima  donna  never  sang  more  divinely, 
never  acted  a  part  more  grandly,  than  on  that  occasion  ;  and 
the  fact  that  although  the  hour  of  midnight  was  not  far  off,  and 
that  a  fierce  storm  raged  without,  the  audience  tendered  her  an 
encore,  than  which  no  heartier  one  was  ever  heard  in  the  Grand 
Opera  House,  betokened  her  hold  upon  the  sympathies  of  her 
listeners.  Cheered  by  the  applause  and  enthused  by  the  recall, 
she  responded  in  the  sweetest  tones  she  ever  sang  in  Minneapo- 
lis, and  it  was  a  fitting  adieu  to  the  people  she  loved  well. 

Her  reception  on  that  evening  was  grateful  to  her.  The 
week  had  not  been  in  all  respects  what  it  should  have  been,  and 
the  vacant  seats  on  two  evenings  had  served  to  dispirit  even  the 
plucky  little  woman  that  she  was.  Worn  with  frequent  and 
long  rehearsals,  and  the  responsibility  which  she  always  assumed 
when  a  new  opera  was  to  be  put  on,  wearied  with  an  afternoon 
performance  of  Martha,  and  saddened  by  incidents  which  dur- 
ing the  days  preceding  had  opened  anew  the  wounds  caused  by 
Mr.  Wetherell's  death ;  she  entered  her  dressing  room  on  Sat- 
urday evening  "rather  blue,"  as  she  said.  But  her  melancholy 
gave  way  when  to  her  inquiry,  "How  is  the  house?"  a  member 
of  the  company  replied,  "It  is  almost  full  now,"  and,  thence- 
forth she  was  as  gay  as  a  bird. 


Emma  Abbotl  .1    "Violetta." 


First  PreSi  ntation  of  A 

On  Sunday  afternoon  in  discussing  the  performance  with  the 
author,  she  said.  ••!  shall  never  forget  yesterday  and 
night.  The  matinee  audience  was  appreciative  and  good-na- 
tured, but  last  evening  the  audience  seemed  especially  sympa- 
thetic and  kind.  Tlu-n'  were  awkward  waits  and  blunders,  and 
yet  those  in  front  seemed  disposed  to  condone  all,  and  remember 
only  the  beauties  of  the  opera.  Really,"  Bhe  continued,  "we 
ought  to  have  had  a  month  longer  for  preparation,  but  1  was 
determined  that  pa  should  witness  the  first  presentation  in 
English.  He  is  growing  old,  you  know,  and  all  these  little 
things  please  him.  I  never  learn  a  new  part  Km  I  think 
him.  bless  his  dear  heart,  ami  how  faithfully  he  used  to  work, 
how  patient  he  used  to  be  with  me  in  teaching  me  my  first 
concert  numbers.  It  may  seem  childish  to  say  so,  but  truly  1 
never  have  heard  music  that  sounded  bo  grand  u>  me  as  the 
melodies  he  used  to  play  on  his  violin." 

Two  of  the  dresses  worn  on  that  occasion  were  particularly 
beautiful,  one  the  character,  or  Queen  Anne  .  the  other  a  charm- 
ing bit  of  drapery  in  which  she  went  to  the  guillotine.  The 
first  was  of  moss-green  velvet  and  shrimp-pink  satin     This  is 

in  colors  and  design  an  exacl  copy  of  the  Queen   \i Iress  on 

exhibition  in  the  Louvre,  but  its  cost  is  many  times  that  ..!'  the 
royal  garment. 

The  body  of  the  dress  is  of  the  moss-colored  velvet,  and  the 
garniture  is  something  never  before  Been  on  any  Btage  costume. 
The  design  (an  intricate  one)  is  cu1  away  in  the  velvet  appliqued 
on  the  pink  satin.  Anidea.it'  thework  on  this  costume  may  be 
obtained  when  it  is  stated  that  the  margin  <>r  each  design 
closely  embroidered  with  self-colored  silk  that  it  resembles  the 
hard-woven  fabrics  of  Queen  Ann.-,  time  This  appUqm  or 
eut-away  work,  forms  a  half-yard  bord<  r  on  the  skirt  and  train. 


CHAPTER    XIII 


MM  A  ABBOTT  had  the  honor  of  ' '  open- 
ing" or  dedicating  more  opera  houses  than 
had  any  other  singer  in  the  world.  And 
it  was  an  honor,  won  by  the  extreme  gen- 
erosity, kindness,  endeavor  to  please,  and 
sterling  womanhood,  for  which  she  had 
gained  a  reputation. 
When  a  man,  or  syndicate  of  men,  has  brought  to  completion 
a  house  erected  for  the  entertainment  of  the  public,  he  looks 
upon  that  house  with  pride,  and  in  selecting  a  person  to  per- 
form the  opening  or  dedication  rites,  wishes  to  find  a  star  pos- 
sessed not  only  of  artistic  skill,  gracious  manner  and  comely 
appearance,  but  of  a  name  known  and  honored  for  beauty  of 
character ;  a  name  which  cannot  by  any  means  be  associated 
with  reproach. 

There  are  such  in  every  profession,  yet  they  are  none  too 
common ;  and  there  are  those  who  attain  all  possible  perfection 
in  their  chosen  art,  whose  names  no  one  would  care  to  associate 
with  an  object  they  love,  or  in  which  they  are  interested. 
Therefore  it  is  not  wonderful  that  during  the  thirteen  years  of 
its  existence,  the  Emma  Abbott  Opera  Co.  opened  thirty-five 
beautiful  opera  houses,  and  temples  devoted  to  Music  and  the 


Opening  of  Four  Opera   /.' 

Drama,  costing  all  the  way  from  fifty  thousand  to  half  a  million 
dollars.     The  first  opera  house  dedicated  1»\   M  -   \  footl   was 
the  pretty  little  theater  at   Waterloo,  [owa,  in  the  autum 
187S.  with  Chimes  of   Normandy. 

In  the  fall  of  1880  the  company  opened  the  pretty  little  the- 
ater at  Springfield,  Ohio.  The  house  was  packed,  everj 
being  filled,  and  the  aisles  crowded  with  chairs.  Before  the 
curtain  rose  Miss  Abbott  was  called  to  the  front  and  presented 
with  a  lovely  floral  harp,  and  a  dainty  silk  flag.  When  called 
on  to  respond  in  a  speech,  she  Bang  "The  Red,  White  and 
Blue.''  The  audience  realized  the  appropriateness  of  the 
sponse,  and  cheered  her  to  the  echo. 

Romeo  and  Juliet  was  cast  for  the  evening  performance,  and 
the  principals,  Castle  and  Abbott,  were  tendered  a  perfect  i 
tion.     In  the  -Balcony  Scene"  they  were  recalled  again  and 
again,  and  after  wearied  with  repetitions,  both  wore  called  be- 
fore the  curtain. 

At  the  opening  of  a  theatre  in  Virginia,  a  series  of    un- 
tunes occurred  which  would  have  driven  any  other  star  frantic, 
and  inspired  the  company  with   dissatisfaction.      The    scenery 
refused  to  work  properly,  and  it  seemed  as  if  every  detail  was 
possessed  of  a  spirit  of  evil. 

At  the  close  of  Act  I.  the  drop  curtain  refused  to  fall,  and 
notwithstanding  repeated  efforts  to  control  it,  it  remained  stub- 
born. By  a  series  of  signals  and  hurried  words,  none  of  which 
were  discovered  by  the  audience,  the  prima  donna  recommenced 
the  ensemble  which  ended  the  act,  and  herself  led  ;i  march  into 
the  wings.  So  gracefully  was  it  accomplished,  thai  few,  it 
any.  in  the  audience  mistrusted  thai  it  wasn'1  •down  in  the 
plot." 

Later  in  the  evening  the  lights  were  suddenly  extinguished 
and  although  the  situation  caused  a  wait  of    n   minute  or  two 
the  orchestra  changed   tactics,  and  a   moment    Inter  Bliss   \ 
bott's  voice  was  heard  in  the  strains  of  Offenbach's  serenade 
When  the  lights  were  again  turned  on.  the  thread  of  the  opera 
was  taken  up.  and  proceeded  smoothly  to  the  end 


100  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

During  their  last  season  of  four  months  the  company  opened 
two  beautiful  edifices,  the  first  being  the  Metropolitan  Theater 
at  Grand  Forks,  Dakota;  the  other  the  "New  Grand  Opera," 
at  Ogden  City,  Utah. 

At  Grand  Forks  "Martha"  was  the  opera  cast,  and  Abbott, 
indeed,  as  did  all  the  principals,  received  a  continued  ovation. 
The  event  was  one.  of  the  most  brilliant  of  its  kind,  just  such 
an  one  as  the  West  can  bring  about  when  it  feels  inclined. 
Tickets  to  the  amount  of  ten  thousand  dollars  were  sold  ;  and 
the  costumes  of  the  ladies  present  would  have  done  credit  to 
such  an  occasion  in  an}'  city  of  the  United  States.  The  open- 
ing address  was  made  by  Dakota's  able  governor,  Hon.  John 
Miller,  after  which  the  curtain  was  rung  up  for  the  performance. 
Of  this  the  Plaindealer,  a  local  paper,  says  : 

' '  The  first  appearance  of  the  company  was  greeted  by  a  wild 
burst  of  applause,  and  as  the  queen  of  opera  came  on  the  stage. 
it  was  deafening.  During  the  performance  Miss  Abbott  was 
encored  again  and  again.  Her  solos  were  a  revelation  to  many 
who  heard  her.  Such  delicate,  melodious  music,  and  yet  so 
powerful  and  wonderful  a  voice.  Miss  Annandale  was  another 
favorite,  and  William  Pruette,  as  Plunkett,  won  the  admiration 
of  the  audience.  The  chorus  was  a  magnificent  combination, 
the  voices  of  the  singers  being  trained  to  oneness  of  expression 
which  is  remarkable. 

"They  sang  with  a  degree  of  spirit  and  animation  which 
showed  their  whole  attention  was  given  up  to  the  work  they 
undertook.  The  different  incidents,  scenes  and  expressions  of 
the  different  portions  of  the  opera  were  brought  out  with  a 
vividness  which  made  the  performance  most  charming.  The 
orchestra,  too,  was  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  light  character 
of  the  entire  performance,  the  music  blending  and  harmonizing 
delightfully  with  the  voices  of  the  singers.  The  dress  worn  by 
Miss  Abbott  in  the  first  act  was  the  most  magnificent  costume 
ever  seen  in  the  cit}-,  and  attracted  the  admiration  of  the  ladies 
by  its  splendor." 

So  pleased  were  they  with  the  performance  on  the  opening 


.1  TribuU    to   //  ■    M     ory.  L01 

night  that  the  management  voiced  appreciation  in  a  beautiful, 
massive  floral  tribute  decked  with  ribbons,  which  was  forwarded 
to  Miss  Abbott  at  s;m  Francisco,  reaching  there  in  time  for  the 
opening  night  at  the  Baldwin.  That  evening  the  King  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  with  his  suiti .  attended  the  performance, 
occupying  a  box  at  the  right  of  the  stage.  Miss  Abbott  hon- 
ored the  roval  guest  by  placing  the  floral  gift  from  Grand  Porks 
in  front  of  his  box. 

In  a  letter  to  the  author,  Manager  Geo.  11    Broadhurst,  of 
Grand  Forks,  says,  '-Both  patronage  and  performance  exceeded 
my  most  sanguine  expectations;    and  follows  with  this  beauti 
ful  tribute  to  the  dead  songstress  : 

"  That  the  death  of  Emma  Abbott,  who  was  the  idol  of  the 
West,  and  who  was  loved  as  much  for  her  gracious  womanli- 
ness as  for  her  power  as  an  artiste,  will  leave  a  void  never  to 
be  filled,  is  a  fact  apparent  to  all  who  know  the  reverence  In 
which  she  is  held.  Miss  Abbott's  one  visit  to  Grand  Forks 
was  sufficient  to  establish  her  a  decided  favorite  in  the  hi 
of  the  people;  who  will  never  erase  to  be  grateful  for  the 
privilege  of  that  one  performance  and  its  pleasanl  memories. 
Like  the  perfume  of  the  withered  rose;  the  flower  has  departed, 
but  her  holy  influence  remains.'" 

There  may  have  been  others  of  her  prole— ion  who  have  done 
as  much,  but  few  have  done  more  in  the  way  of  bestowals 
which  were  intended  to  render  happy  the  inmates  of  charity 
hospitals,  children's  homes,  homes  for  the  aged,  and  even  those 
who,  for  transgressions  of  the  law.  are  deprived  of  liberty  and 
association  of  friends 

Christmas,  of  '85,  the  inmates  of  two  western  penitentiaries 
woe  gladdened  by  boxes  of  gifts  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wetherell. 
For  the  men  there  were  warm  scarfs,  for  the  women  a  neatly 
made  white  apron  for  Sundays,  and  tor  all  a  pound  box  -•! 
candy.  The  holidays  of  '86  and  '87  -aw  boxes  on  their  wa) 
to  Cleveland,  Cincinnati.  Chicago,  and  Jacksonville,  IN.,  filled 
to  overflowing  with  gifts  tor  those  who  had  no  hope  of  a  re 
membrance  from  Si    Nicholas. 


102  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

Christmas  of  '88  the  company  was  in  California,  and  several 
boxes  of  appropriate  gifts  were  sent  to  charitable  institutions 
in  San  Francisco  and  Sacremento.  The  surgeon  in  charge  of  a 
California  hospital  wrote  her  as  follows  : 

"I  am  sure  it  would  have  done  your  soul  good,  and  amply 
repaid  you  for  your  expense  and  trouble,  could  you  have  seen 
the  brightened  countenances  of  our  patients,  as  the  baskets  of 
luscious  fruit  were  brought  into  the  different  wards,  and  when 
they  were  told  that  each  patient  was  to  have  a  whole  basket  from 
which  at  such  intervals  as  I  might  see  fit  they  were  to  be  sup- 
plied, their  delight  knew  no  bounds. 

< '  Still  greater  was  their  enthusiam  when  informed  that  the 
fruit,  in  all  several  barrels,  was  the  gift  of  the  charming 
woman  who,  less  than  a  week  before,  had  sung  a  song  in  each 
ward  ;  and  the  ejeculations  of  '  God  bless  her, '  '  Heaven  keep 
her, '  and  '  May  the  good  Father  grant  her  every  blessing, '  were 
as  fervent,  heartfelt  prayers  as  were  ever  offered  in  your  behalf. 
To  these  I  add  my  own,  that  you  may  be  spared  to  enjoy  as 
many  blessings  as  your  generous  heart  has  showered  upon 
others. " 

The  Sisters'  hospital,  in  Boston,  was  similarly  remembered 
by  the  same  generous  soul,  and  in  acknowledgment  the  Mother 
Superior  wrote  :  "  The  delicacies  for  our  sick  ones  came  just  in 
time,  and  I  know  it  would  have  made  you  very  happy  to  have 
witnessed  their  appreciation,  and  heard  their  expressions  of 
gratitude.  May  the  dear  Jesus  reward  you  as  words  of  mine 
cannot  do,  and  may  the  blessing  of  the  Mother  of  Christ  abide 
upon  you  at  all  times. " 

One  May  day  an  immense  box  of  roses,  and  lilacs  was  sent 
to  a  Philadelphia  hospital,  and  one  of  the  nurses  afterward 
said :  "I  think  those  flowers  did  more  for  the  recovery  of  our 
patients  than  all  the  medicine  and  nursing  we  have  given 
them."  The  matron  in  charge  sent  her  a  beautifully  worded 
letter  of  thanks  which  is  given  in  full. 

' '  To  our  poor  sufferers  shut  in  as  they  are,  deprived  of  sun- 
shine, the  fragrance  of   flowers,  and  songs  of  birds,  3-our  box 


Story  of  Thret    Christm  103 

of  beautiful  blossoms  came  as  a  benediction  from  Heaven. 
Some  of  the  dear  souls  closed  their  eyes,  clasping  the  tl<> 
tightly  iu  their  hands,  and  L  am  Bure  their  fragrance  brought 
to  them  memories  of  childhood,  perhaps  of  a  dear  home,  and 
fond  parents;  and  they  were  loth  to  open  their  eyes,  lest  the 
fancy  be  dispelh-d.  Long  after  the  flowers  are  faded,  dear 
Miss  Abbott,  the  remembrance  of  your  generous  deed  will  re- 
main with  us,  and  we  all  join  in  a  prayer  that  when  hou 
pain  come  to  you.  your  own  heart  maj  be  gladdened  by  the 
thoughtfulness  of  dear  friends,  and  may  blossoms  as  beautiful 
as  those  you  sent  us,  be  placed  about  your  couch  to  cheer  vmi." 

In  the  winter  of  '90  "Uncle  Ben  Baker"  died,  and  friends 
set  at  work  to  raise  means  to  place  a  life-size  painting  of  the 
dear  old  gentleman  in  the  reception  room  of  the  Actor's  Asso 
ciation.  Just  before  Christmas  Miss  Abbott  sent  the  last  hun- 
dred dollars  required  to  pay  for  the  picture,  and  at  the  same 
time,  an  equal  sum  to  --Aunt  Louisa  Eldridge"  for  the  chil- 
dren's Christmas. 

In  remembrance  of  these  generous  derds.  Harrison  Grey 
Fisk.  editor  of  the  New  York  Dramatic  Minor,  paid  her  a 
graceful  tribute,  worthy  of  a  place  lure  bul  unfortunately 
not  available. 

The  newsboy's  association  of  Detroit  was  remembered  with  a 
present  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  their  Christmas  tree,  and 
the  following  testimonial  was  received    the   day    before 
Abbott's  death: 

"The  Newsboys  of  Detroit,  three  thousand  strong,  Bend  you  a 
Merry  Christmas,  and  Happy  New  STear,  and  wish  you  bushels 
and  bushels  of  success.'' 


CHAPTER    XIV 


^J         XE  of  the  most  marked  characteristics  of 
Emma   Abbott's    nature    was    filial    love. 


Although  separated  from  them  for  years  at 
a  time,  her  love  for  her  father  and  mother 
was  as  tender  and  sincere  as  when  she  was 
dependent  upon  them  for  all  she  received. 
From  her  father  she  inherited  her  musical  talent,  and  this  was 
a  strong  tie  between  them. 

In  talking  of  her  father  with  a  friend  not  long  before  her 
death,  she  said,  ' '  Poor  pa  !  he  gets  downhearted  and  blue,  be- 
cause all  his  ambitions  were  not  fulfilled,  and  he  will  say  to  me, 
'Well,  Em',  if  I  have  made  a  failure,  you  are  a  success.'  To 
be  sure,  pluck,  health  and  talent  have  helped  me,  and  I  am 
said  to  be  a  self-made  woman  ;  but  I  do  not  forget  that  if  I  am 
a  success,  it  is  because  he  gave  me  the  start  toward  it.  My 
musical  talent,  energy  and  determination  are  all  inherited,  and 
my  parents  deserve  credit  for  much  that  I  am. " 

Nor  is  it  strange  that  between  the  baby  girl  whose  very  soul 
was  music,  possessed  of  an  ear  so  correct  that  after  once 
hearing  she  could  repeat  an}*  ordinary  melody,  and  her  father, 
himself  a  teacher  and  lover  of  music,  there  should  be  formed 
an  attachment  that  would  grow  with  the  years. 


Emma  Abbotl  as  Anne  Boleyn. 
Last  Act,  in  which  the  unfortunate  Queen  goes  to  the  guillotine. 


Abbotfs  Love  J       /  .'.'  [05 

And  when  the  pupil  had  outdone  the  teacher,  an. I  attained 

heights  of  which  he  had  only  dreamed;  when  bom  adm 
him  and  striving  to  become  bis  equal,  she  had  become  uot  onli 
the  object  of  his  adoration  and  praise,  bnt  the  pride  < 
ican  hearts  and  music-lovers  everywhere;  that  filial  h>\. 
stronger  ;  and  she  never  forgot  that  to  ber  father's  early  leach- 
ing she  owed  much  that  she  attained     Said  ahe  on  one  o 
sion,  "I  never  enjoyed  any  ovations  tendered  me  more  than  ] 
enjoyed  the  applause  of   the  audiences  that   filled  halls  and 
schoolhouses  in  small  towns,   to  hear  our  concerts  ;  pa  with 
violin.  I  with  guitar,  and  when  we  could  strike  one,  a  cabinet 
organ  or  melodeon ' 

Fn»m  the  time  she  left    home   tor   New    York    to  Study  under 
Errani,  to  that  of  her  death,  her  Letters  to  ber  parents  voice  the 
affection  of  a  constant,  faithful  heart.      Score-  of  them  contain 
the  following  sentences  or  those  of  similar  import:  ••!   never 
cease  to  love  and  pray  for  you."'      ••  No  matter  bow  long  a  time 
before  we  meet,  or   what   distance   separatee   as,  your  loving 
Emma  pray-    always    for  your  health   and    happiness.''      -I  do 
not  write  regularly.      I   live   in  such  a  whirl  that   to  do 
impossible,  but  you  must  write  me  every  Sunday,  because  your 
letters  do  me  so  much  good."     A  letter  to  her  father  in  1878 
says,  ••  I  regrel  to  bear  you  are  not  well.      1  fear  you  areov 
working.     How  I  wish,  my  darling  father,  it  were  in  my  p 
to  give  you  a  life  of  rest  and  east 

Another  letter  bearing  date  of  November,  1889,  eleven  yi 
later   than   the  one  just    quoted,  8fl  (  '     ■   of   the  hap; 

thoughts  of  my  life  is  that  it  lies  in  my  power  to  keep  you 
without  work  or  care  on   your   part.       I    desire  yOU  to  have  the 

best  of  everything,  clothes,  food,  a  nice,  comfortable  room  . 
perfect  ease,  and  time  to  do  whatever  you  like. " 

Another  of  recent  date  contains  the  following,  ■  I  don'1  want 
you  to  work  or  worry,  dust  remember  your  Emma  lovee  you, 
prays  for  you  daily,  and  wishes  to  render  you  perfectly  bap] 

Her  love  for  ber  brothers  and  ber  sister  was  equally  marked 

It  was  in  Montreal  she  heard   of    ber  eldesl   brother's  death,   and 


106  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

the  news  almost  prostrated  her.  In  a  letter  to  her  father  she 
says  of  this  sad  event,  "I  have  just  heard  of  poor  George's 
death.  How  can  I  endure  the  thought  that  I  shall  never  see 
that  dear  face  again.  I  feel  as  if  I  cannot  go  on  with  my  work, 
and  yet  I  know  that  work  alone  will  drive  this  awful  reality 
from  my  mind.  I  never  appreciated  or  loved  George  as  I  do 
dow,  when  I  know  he  is  gone. " 

A  letter  to  a  friend  tells  of  her  sister's  marriage,  and  says, 
' '  I  hope  the  dear  child  has  a  good  husband.  I  love  her  so 
dearly  that  it  would  break  my  heart  were  she  to  contract  one  of 
the  unfortunate  alliances  which  God  knows  are  too  common." 

Having  just  heard  of  her  mother's  convalescence  after  a  dan- 
gerous illness,  she  writes,  "  If  I  had  known  ma  was  so  ill,  I 
could  not  have  done  my  work  on  the  stage.  Now  that  my 
parents  are  getting  on  in  years,  I  never  get  a  telegram  that  I 
do  not  think  before  I  break  the  seal,  that  perhaps  one  of  them 
is  gone.  And  yet,  strong  woman  as  I  am,  I  may  be  taken 
before  either." 

When,  years  before  the  death  of  Mr.  Wetherell,  each  made  a 
will,  bequeathing  everything  to  the  other,  she  signed  a  contract 
promising  in  the  event  of  his  death  to  bequeath  ten  thousand 
dollars  to  his  mother,  and  five  thousand  to  Munson  Wetherell, 
to  be  applied  to  the  education  of  his  children.  She  also  se- 
cured from  him  a  contract  in  the  event  of  her  death  to  give 
from  her  estate  ten  thousand  dollars  each  to  her  father  and 
mother. 

Not  only  were  the  terms  of  her  contract  fulfilled  by  her  will, 
but  each  of  the  children  of  Mr.  Wetherell's  brother  received 
five  thousand  dollars  instead  of  a  share  of  that  amount. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wetherell  had  no  children  of  their  own,  but 
there  are  three  on  whom  the  latter  bestowed  her  name,  or  that 
of  her  husband.  One  little  girl  in  New  York  city  bears  the 
name  Emma  Abbott,  as  also  does  another  in  Washington,  while 
in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  the  five  year  old  son  of  a  dear  friend 
responds  to  the  name  of  Abbott  Wetherell,  given  him  by  the 
singer   during   one  of  her  Louisville  engagements.      She  loved 


Abbot fs  Low   for  LittX     0  107 

children,  but  seldom  bestowed  much  attention  on  the  children 
of  the  rich.  She  Loved  to  give  to  those  who  appreciated  her 
bestowals,  and  often  remarked,  ■•  Bow  little  it  requires  to  make 
children  happy.'' 

In  a  conversation  regarding  (renter's  loss  of  voice,  Bhe  Bald, 
"Although  the  cause  of  her  loss  of  voice  is  said  to  be  connected 
with  the  advent  of  her  children.  1  am  Blow  to  accept  that  theory. 
But  even  if  it  be  true,  is  not  the  love  a  child  bears  its  mother, 
with  the  companionship  of  Its  blessed  babyhood,  its  entertaining 
ways,  its  perfect  trusl  ;  ample  compensation  for  the  loe 

The  little  ones  who  were  necessary  to  the  production  of  any 
of  her  operas  soon  found  the  way  to  her  heart,  and  between 
them  and  her  there  was  usually  established  an  affection  which 
was  lifedong.  Tn  San  Francisco  a  little  fellow  who  gave  to 
himself  the  peculiar  name  'Macduff,"  was  firsl  noticed  by 
Miss  Abbott  in  ••Yeoman  of  the  Guard,"  won  her  affection, 
and  ever  afterward  was  associated  with  her  memories  or  antici- 
pations of  a  season  in  'Frisco.  "  Little  Mac  "  as  she  called 
him  was  one  of  the  "  First  nighters  "  on  the  occasion  of  her 
last  visit  to  San  Francisco,  and  the  members  of  the  company 
will  always  bear  in  memory  a  picture  of  the  star  in  her  uew 
Bohemian  <iirl  dress,  kneeling  on  the  dressing-room  floor,  her 
arms  around  '-Little  Mac, "  whose  head  rested  on  her  round 
white   shoulder.     Could   one   breathe  for  the  boy  or  the  man  a 

kinder  wish  than  that  he  may  always  love  and  be  loved  by  a 
woman  as  good  and  pure? 

Her  " Norma  babies"  she  Beemed  to  love  with  a  depth  ot 
feeling  born  of  the  sentimenl  she  sang.     The  role  was  one  of 

her   very  best,  and  she  entered  into  its  feeling  with  a  zeal  which 

imparted  to  her  acting  a  wonderful  power. 

It  was  her  first  task,  not  always  an  easy  one.  to  inspire  in 
them,  a  confidence  which  would  permit  her  to  bend  over  them 

with  branded  knife,  and  threat  to  kill. 

On  one  occasion  in  St.    Paul,  an  event  OCCUTTed  Which  was  al 

ways  amusing  to  her  to  recall.     The  rehearsals  of  Norma  had 

i    (,ii   without   a  break,   and    the   confidence   of   the    little   ones 


108  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

was  apparently  established.  At  each  rehearsal,  she  had  prefaced 
the  "dagger  act  "  with  the  assurance  that  she  would  do  them  no 
harm,  and  the  promise  of  a  box  of  chocolate  creams,  as  soon 
as  the  curtain  should  ring  down.  In  the  evening,  however,  she 
omitted  this  assurance,  trusting  to  their  confidence  for  good 
and  proper  behavior.  As  she  approached  them,  one  began  to 
tremble,  and  as  the  knife  glittered  in  the  light,  gave  a  shriek, 
jumped  from  the  couch,  and  vanished  into  the  wings,  followed  in 
short  meter  by  his  little  sister.  The  performance  went  on,  but 
neither  performers  nor  audience,  were  greatly  impressed  with  the 
solemnity  usual  during  the  remainder  of  the  act. 

She  loved  and  reverenced  age,  too,  and  a  many  a  man 
and  woman  feeble  with  infirmities  of  years,  have  received  tick- 
ets to  the  opera,  and  a  note,  saying,  ' '  A  carriage  will  call  for 
you."  These,  like  the  children  she  loved  so  well,  were  not 
from  the  ranks  of  society,  but  represented  the  humbler  walks 
of  life. 

Among  those  who  mourn  her  loss  is  an  old  man  in  St.  Louis, 
who  sells  papers,  blacks  shoes,  and  sometimes  adds  to  his  stock 
in  trade  a  basket  of  apples  or  pop-corn.  One  day  some  years 
ago,  while  walking  down  West  Locust  street  with  her  husband, 
she  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  lose  an  overshoe  in  the  crossing 
mud.  A  trio  of  newsboys,  who  saw  the  affair,  laughed  heart- 
ily as  they  saw  Mr.  Wetherell  remove  his  glove  to  recover  the 
lost  shoe.  The  old  gentleman  was  standing^  on  the  corner  with 
his  basket  of  apples,  and  seeing  Mr.-  Wetherell  start  back,  said, 
"Keep  your  gloves  on,  sir,  keep  them  on;"  and  in  a  moment 
more  was  gallantly  replacing  the  rubber  on  the  owner's  foot. 
Like  the  rascals  many  of  their  profession  are,  the  boys  helped 
themselves  from  his  store  of  fruit,  and  ran  out  of  sight. 

True  to  her  generous  heart,  she  called  across  the  street, 
' '  Never  mind,  let  the  boys  go  ;  poor  little  chaps,  they  don't  get 
such  apples  every  day,  nor  do  I,  so  let  me  have  two."  The 
fruit  vender  crossed  with  his  stock,  from  which  she  selected 
two  of  the  best,  and  stored  them  away  in  Mr.  Wetherell's  coat 
pocket ;  then  took  from  her  purse  a  dollar,  sajing,  as  she  gave 


.1  Liberal  Christian,  1"'.' 

it  to  the  man  who  had  assisted  her.  ••  Keep  the  change  to  pay 
for  the  Newsies'  feast  ;  and.  <  iene,  write  out  a  pass  for  this  man 
for  to-night  at  the  opera,  and  tell  the  boys  to  give  him  two 
good  seats.  " 

That  evening  when  the  performance  was  over,  and  Bhe  was 
leaving  the  house,  the  old  man  and  his  daughter,  a  young  girl, 
stood  at  the  exit  waiting  to  thank  her  for  the  pleasure  her 
erosity  had  given  them.  Each  year  thereafter  she  found  a  way 
to  send  him  a  ticket  to  the  opera.  ■•  Why.  said  she,  ••  I  can 
sing  better  when  I  see  him  Bitting  as  he  always  does  in  the 
front  row.  with  upturned  face,  drinking  in  every  word  as  it 
falls  from  the  lips  of  the  singers. 

An  old  apple  woman  (colored)  in   Baltimore,  hafi  1  an 

Abbott  matinee  during  every  engagement  of  tin-  company  in 
that  city  for  five  years,  the  ticket  of  admission  being  furnished 
by  Abbott  herself. 

In  religious  belief  Miss  Abbott  was  decidedly  Liberal  in  the 
best  sense  of  the  word.  She  was  a  member  in  good  standing 
of  the  Congregational  church,  but  when  on  the  road  usually 
attended  service  wherever  she  could  most  conveniently  do  BO 
If  a  church  were  within  easy  walking  distance  of  her  hotel,  that 
was  usually  her  choice;  if.  however,  she  called  a  cab  or  car- 
riage, she  frequently  instructed  the  driver  to  ' '  Go  straight  up 
or  down  the  street,  and  when  you  reach  a  church,  stop. 

Hence  she  had  in  the  course  of  her  career  heard  sermons  of 
every  faith  and  belief,  and  as  her  will  shows,  had  ■•  particularly 
enjoyed  divine  service''  in  many,  and  these  churches  receive, 
through  her  generosity,  ten  thousand  dollars  each. 

Religious  sentiment  was  strong  in  her  nature,  and  when  in 
trouble,  whether  from  bodily  or  mental  affliction,  she  always 
turned  for  comfort  to  a  "Heavenly  Father"  in  whose  love  -In- 
trusted, and  by  whose  judgment  she  was  willing  to  abide.  <  tften 
when  a  week's  work  had  been  more  than  usually  exhausting, 
friends  would  urge  her  to  forego  the  church  service  ou  Sunday, 
she  replied.  ••  I  know  yon  menu  all  right,  and  advise  me  as  you 
believe  for  my  good  ;  but.  my  dear,  you  are  taking  from  me  the 


110  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

the  dearest  privilege  of  my  life  ;  robbing  uie  of  the  source  of 
of  m}'  greatest  comfort.  When  I  attend  church  on  Sunday,  no 
matter  how  humble  the  edifice  or  how  uncultured  the  speaker, 
I  receive  a  blessing ;  I  get  into  a  right  frame  of  mind ;  and 
receive  strength  to  overcome  temptations,  bear  affliction,  meet 
reverses.      Indeed,  I  could  not  be  happy  without  this. " 

After  Mr.  Wetherell's  death  she  adhered  more  rigidly  than 
ever  to  this  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  on  her  last  Sunday 
in  Minneapolis,  said  to  the  author,  '  <  My  dear,  I  listened  to 
such  a  comforting  sermon  this  morning.  The  minister  spoke 
from  that  beautiful  text,  'Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled. '  It 
was  just  the  balm  my  poor  lonely  heart  needed." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wetherell  had  been  owners  of  much  valuable 
real  estate,  but  had  never  built  or  furnished  a  residence  and 
called  it  home.  Mr.  "Wetherell  preferred  hotel  life,  but  after 
his  death  bis  wife  longed  for  a  place  of  retirement,  a  place 
where  when  weary  she  might  rest  alone  if  she  chose,  or  sur- 
rounded by  the  members  of  her  own  family,  father,  mother, 
brother  and  sister.  After  some  discussion  she  decided  upon 
Chicago,  the  city  of  her  birth,  although  San  Francisco,  New 
York  and  "Washington  had  about  equal  attractions. 

The  fact,  however,  that  most  of  her  immediate  family  resided 
in  Chicago  had  much  to  do  with  her  decision.  The  formal 
plans  for  her  home  had  not  been  drawn,  but  in  her  own  mind 
she  had  formed  a  plan  of  a  large  residence,  containing  suites 
after  the  manner  of  our  best  hotels.  These  were  to  be  so 
arranged  that  each  member  of  the  family  was  to  have  a  suite 
which  when  desirable  might  be  shut  off  from  communication 
with  the  others.  Besides  the  private  apartments,  there  were  to 
be  a  general  parlor,  a  music  or  entertainment  hall,  and  a  suite 
for  guests.  The  house  would  have  been  under  way  ere  this  time 
if  Miss  Abbott  had  lived,  and,  furnished  with  all  modern  conven- 
iences and  the  most  artistic  appointments,  would  have  been  an 
ornament  to  Chicago. 

Here  when  her  seasons  were  finished,  she  might  conclude  her 
preparations  for  a  journey  or  season  abroad,  or  if  she  chose 


T/u    Thr*   Thin      -       "  red.  ill 

resl  Cor  a  season  or  Longer.     This  was  also  to  be  Rosa  -  perma- 
iu'iit   home.     The  erection  and   furnishing  of   t lii-  "Abl 
home  was  one  of  the  three  things  for  which  she  most  desired  t<> 
live  one  year  longer. 

Another  was  the  completion  of  the  Wetherell  monument  t>> 
be  erected  in  memory  of  her  husband,  and  which  was  already 
well  iimler  way  at  the  time  of  her  death.  It^  cost  is  ainet} 
thousand  dollars,  and  it  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  countn 
Within  the  monumenl  is  an  urn  made  as  a  receptacle  for  her 
own  ashes. 

The  third  enterprise  sin-  so  earnestly  Longed  to  carry  out,  was 
the  '•  staging  "  and  ■  ■  putting  on  "  of  her  new  opera,  by  Audran. 
which  is  spoken  of  elsewhere  in  thia  work 


CHAPTER   XV. 


-F\ 


l  ^W^S^i^  1881  Mr.  Wetherell  advertised  in  a  New  York 
city  daily  for  chorus  girls,  and  among  those  who 
|  responded  was  Alice  Ellerington,  of  Jersey  City. 
I  Miss  Ellerington  had  acquired  considerable  pop- 
ularity as  a  Scotch  ballad  singer,  her  clear,  sym- 
pathetic voice  being  especially  adapted  to  that 
line  of  concert  work,  Her  voice  and  general  appearance  passed 
muster,  and  she  became  a  member  of  the  Abbott  chorus. 

Alice  Ellerington's  life  had  its  turned  down  page,  and  in  her 
case  sorrow  had  softened  the  nature,  subdued  in  a  degree  the 
will,  and  developed  her  graces.  Miss  Abbott  soon  noted  her 
gentleness  of  disposition,  her  patience  under  criticism,  her  lady- 
like demeanor,  and  little  by  little  reached  out  her  arms  to  her, 
taking  her  into  her  confidence  and  love,  until  when  the  sad 
blow  came  which  left  her  a  widow,  she  turned  to  Alice  (as  she 
always  tenderly  called  her)  for  sympathy,  counsel  and  com- 
panionship. When,  in  response  to  what  seemed  the  command 
of  duty,  Miss  Ellerington  resigned  her  position  to  care  for  an 
invalid  relative,  Miss  Abbott  sent  a  message,  saying  ' '  Come 
back  to  me  ;  I  cannot  live  without  you,"  she  quickly  responded, 
and  from  that  day  was  the  singer's  most  trusted  friend,  the  re- 
pository of    her  confidences,  to  whom  when  her  heart  seemed 


Last  Act  Ruv  Bias. 


Faithful  Mink  1 13 

ready  to  break  under  its  Load  of   sorrow  told  unbosom 

her  griefs,  to  whom  she  could  talk  oi  her  ambitions,  and  her 
hopes  for  the  future,  knowing  oaught  would  be  revealed. 

To  Alice  she  entrusted  the  care  of  her  magnificent  jew< 
papers  of  value  while  on  their  journey  abroad,  and  at  her  death, 
to  Alice,  tried  and  found  faithful  in  the  execution  of  the  slight- 
est commission,  she  bequeathed  the  cus  I  all  her  letters,  all 
her  private  property,  music,  operas  and  operatic  scores,  many  of 
which  were  as  dear  to  her  as  if  they  were  her  children  ;  assured 
that  the  confidences  contained  in  those  letters  would  be  ae 
ered  from  intrusion  as  is  the  tomb  where  her  ashes  repo 

Alice,  assisted  by  Miss  Abbott's  faithful  attendant.  Rosa,  re- 
lieved by  Nellie  Franklin,  another  of  the  singer's  favorites,  re 
mained  in  the  sickroom  during  the  five  days  and  nights  Of 
suffering  which  marked  the  close  of  her  life.  Their  hands 
soothed  the  fevered  brow,  administered  the  few  remedies,  and 
the  little  nourishment  the  sufferer  was  able  to  lake,  and 
prompted  by  love  and   devotion,   they    kept    watch    while    others 

slept.  Not  that  other-  were  unwilling  to  bear  the  toll,  and 
share  the  harden  of  the  sick  room,  but  all  Bave  these  two  were 
fulfilling  their  regular  duties  behind  the  footlights,  ami  to  them 
sleep  and  rest  were  imperative. 

To  Alice  the  invalid  looked  for  the  verdict  of  the  physicians 
after  each  careful  test  of  respiration,  pulse  and  temperature, 
and  in  her  ear  whispered  the  few  requests  regarding  the  end 
One  of  these  referred  to  preparing  and  robing  the  bod] 
the  long  and  silent  journey  homeward,  and  she  asked  that  this 
service  be  performed  by  Loving  hands. 

Audit  was  done  by  that   trio  who  had  served   her  so  faith- 
fully and  bo  well  in  life,  to  whom  her  Inanimate  form  was 
cred.     Scores  of  times  had  tin-  same  hands  arrayed  her  for  her 

poles  on  the  stage ;  on  several asions  thej  had  attired  her  in 

thai  same  gown  of  white  and  lilac,  her  favorite  dress ;  the] 
had  often  brushed  he)-  brown  haii'.  ami  encased  the  feet  ill  the 
same  white  satin  slipp  n  but  at  other  time-  die  had  been  full 
of  life  and  gayety     now  she  was  Btrangely  still. 


114  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

The  history  of  that  five  days  may  be  told  in  a  few  pages, 
but  to  those  who  watched  by  the  bedside,  to  the  anxious  mem- 
bers of  her  company  and  to  her  father,  mother,  brothers  and 
sister,  two  thousand  miles  away,  waiting  for  a  word  of  hope  or 
discouragement,  each  hour  seemed  an  eternity. 

On  the  night  of  December  29,  the  company  was  billed  to 
open  the  new  opera  house  at  Odgen,  Utah,  with  the  Rose  of 
Castile.  The  house  was  just  completed,  and  the  walls  were 
not  thoroughly  dry,  but  the  star's  dressing  room  was  made 
comfortable  by  sufficient  heat,  and  blanketing  walls  and  win- 
dows. By  accident,  however,  a  window  became  lowered 
while  Miss  Abbott  was  disrobed,  and  she  was  at  once  thrown 
into  a  terrible  chill,  from  which  it  seemed  impossible  to  recall 
her.  She  had  been  indisposed  for  several  days,  and  had  taken 
immense  doses  of  quinine  as  a  bracer,  to  carry  her  through  a 
series  of  colds,  each  one  of  which  seemed  to  settle  more  deeply 
upon  her. 

The  excitement  of  the  occasion  may  have  added  slightly 
to  the  nervous  phase  of  the  trouble,  as  when  ready  for  Act 
I.  she  was  called  upon  to  respond  to  an  address  of  welcome 
by  the  editor  of  the  Ogden  Standard.  This  called  for  a 
hurried  change  of  costume,  and  another  at  the  close  of  her  own 
address,  which  rendered  her  somewhat  nervous.  Both  Editor 
Cannon  and  Miss  Abbott  were  received  by  the  large  audience 
with  hearty  applause,  and,  when  silence  was  restored,  she,  in 
clear  tones  and  with  winning  smile,  said  : 

'■'■Dear  Friends — 1  may  say  very  dear  friends,  I  thank  you 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  for  your  more  than  kind  welcome. 
I  have  long  wished  to  visit  your  city,  and  now  that  I  find 
myself  in,  your  beautiful  temple  of  art,  I  am  astonished  and 
delighted  at  what  I  see.  It  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  open 
opera  houses  in  many  cities,  but  never  have  I  sung  in  one  more 
magnificent,  more  elaborate  than  this.  I  am  happy  to  be  with 
you,  and,  hoping  that  it  may  not  be  the  last  time,  I  will  close 
by  saying  with  Juliet,  'Stay  but  a  little,  and  I  will  come 
again. '  " 


//  /•  Ogdi  n  Audi  . :  115 

The  Standard,  of  Dec.  30,  gave  the  following  ooticeoi  the 
performance:  "Shortly  after  8  p.  m.  the  orchestra  rendered  a 
brief  overture,  the  curtain  rose,  and  Frank  J.  Cannon,  editor 
Ogden  Standard,  appeared  to  make  a  speech  of  greeting  and 
introduction.  Referring  in  terms  of  deserved  compliment  to 
the  founders  ami  proprietors  of  the  establishment,  delivered  a 
glowing  tribute  to  Mr.  Whittaker,  the  architect,  and  speaking 
in  commendatory  terms  of  all  who  had  taken  part  in  making  the 
structure  a  success,  he  proceeded  to  speak  of  the  star  of  the  even- 
ing in  choice  and  appropriate  Language.  At  this  juncture  Miss 
Abbott  appeared,  and  was  warmly  received.  She  was  elegantly 
attired,  and  exhibited  none  of  the  weariness  she  must  have 
felt  through  the  constant  work  lately  undergone;  work  in  which 
travel  by  rail  has  formed  no  insignificant  factor.  Her  response 
was  quite  brief,  but  in  well  chosen  words,  and  evinced  a  hearti- 
ness and  friendliness  which  was  thoroughly  reciprocated.  Both 
speeches  were  fittingly  punctuated  with  applause. 
Forty  choristers  sang  the  opening  number,  and  in  the  midst  of 
their  melody.  ' '  Elvira, "  in  the  person  of  Miss  Abbott,  tripped 
gaily  upon  the  stage,  and  received  another  rapturous  greeting. 
From  first  to  lasj  hter  work  was  a  charm  to  all  listeners  ;  from 
the  opening  solo  up  to  and  including  her  special  and  conspicu 
ous  flights  of  vocalism  in  the  tout  ensemble,  the  audience  wen 
enchained  with  that  peculiar  form  of  delighl  which  comes  of  -a 
liking  only  fully  gratified.'  It  was  soon  apparent  to  those  who 
had  never  seen  the  prima  donna  before,  that  they  were  behold- 
ing high-class  acting  as  well  as  Listening  to  a  high  class  of 
singing,  that  has  made  the  singer  a  name,  a  fame  and  a  fortune 
second  to  a  very  few.  Those  who  were  acquainted  with  the 
artiiU  and  her  methods,  knew,  without  waiting,  that,  even  if  Bhe 
were  divested  of  the  wonderful  faculty  ot    song  Bhe  po 

-he  would    •-till    shine   as   all    actress  Of    peculiar   and    altogether 

attractive  power. 

"When  she  trills,  it  Beems  like  the  murmur  of  aspen  Leaves 
in  the  groves  of  Paradise,  wafted  upon  wavelet-  of  perfumed  air  . 
and  her  rounded  roulade-  and  caroled  cadence-  Bound  to  the 


116  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

imaginative  mind  and  reverent  ear  closely  akin  to  the  vespers 
of  the  angelic  host  when  first  they  voiced  their  songs  of  praise 
in  the  Garden  of  the  Gods.  In  all  seriousness,  Miss  Abbott 
has  a  range  of  compass  and  such  an  elastic  control  of  her  vocal 
powers,  throughout  embellished  with  excellent  intonation  and 
splendid  phrasing,  all  set  to  such  pleasing  and  plenteous  melody, 
and  is  so  comely  in  person  and  attractive  in  manner  that  we 
have  no  hesitation  in  crowning  her  as  « '  the  dimpled  queen  of 
song. "  Ogden  is  pleased  to  welcome  her,  and  hopes  to  greet 
her  yet  many  times  ere  the  curtain  is  finally  rung  down  upon 
this  fleeting  life." 

The  Standard  of  Wednesday,  December  31,  says  of  Bohe- 
mian Girl  :  "The  lovers  of  music  and  song  were  served  with 
a  rare  treat  yesterday  afternoon  and  evening,  being  favored  at 
both  performances  with  the  "Last  Rose  of  Summer"  by  that 
gifted  woman.  Those  who  heard  her  sing  this  charming  song 
at  the  matinee  and  again  in  the  evening  were  doubly  pleased. 
The  thunders  of  applause  which  greeted  her  showed  the  feeling 
which  the  people  had  for  her  and  for  the  much  loved  song. 

*  *  *  Miss  Abbott  sang  with  excellent  voice,  and  the 
sweetness  of  her  tone  was  a  surprise  even  to  her  friends.  She 
was  warmly  encored. 

"At  Tuesday's  matinee  the  opera  Martha  was  given,  and  as 
Miss  Abbott  made  her  appearance  on  the  stage  she  was  greeted 
with  rapturous  applause.  From  first  to  last  she  charmed  her 
listeners  with  her  volumes  of  heavenly  music.  As  Martha  Miss 
Abbott  appeared  at  her  best,  and  from  the  opening  solo  to  her 
wonderful  flights  of  vocalism.  held  her  audience  almost  spell- 
bound, and  only  when  the  voice  had  ceased  did  any  one  dare  to 
breathe,  and  then  the  applause  shook  the  building.  The  chief 
interest  of  the  opera  was,  of  course,  the  singing  of  ' '  The  Last 
Rose  of  Summer."  This  song  has  made  Abbott  famous,  and 
her  name  will  always  be  linked  with  it.  Her  by-play  in  Martha 
is  simply  delightful  in  its  piquant  grace  and  abandon.  She 
fairly  carries  the  audience  with  her.  The  performance  was  a 
triumph,  and  thoroughly  appreciated  by  listeners. " 


Emma  \bh>n  as  Ni  irma. 


Hi r  Last    Public  App<  l  it 

On  returning  to  her  hotel  at  the  close  of  the  performance, 
she  found  herself  in  a  raging  fever,  and  to  allaj  her  thirst 
drank  large  draughts  of  iced  milk.  To  this  Rosa,  her  attend- 
ant, objected,  but  she  would  not  be  denied,  because,  as  she  Baid, 

"I  seem  to  Ik- on  fire,  and  this  is  all  thai  cools  m\  blood. 
This  chilled  her  stomach,  already  rendered  sensitive  by  the  qui- 
nine, and  caused  it  thereafter  to  reject  the  slightest  quantity 
either  of  food  or  medicine.  On  the  next  morning  Miss  Abbott 
was  quite  ill.  but  decided  to  go  to  Salt  hake  City  early  in  tin- 
day  that  sin-  might  obtain  all  the  rest  possible  before  the  even- 
ing's performance. 

When  she  entered  the  opera  house  thai  Tuesday  evening,  it 
was  evident  to  all  who  were  familiar  with  her  habits  and   man- 
ners, that  she  was  indeed  very  ill,  and  all  at  once  besought  her 
to  remain  off   the  Btage,  return  to  her  hotel,  ami  place  herself 
in  the  hands  of   a  physician.       ■lint    I    must    not    disappoint 
these  people,-'  said  she.  ■■!  was  in  bad  voice  when  here  before, 
and  to-night  I  must  redeem  myself.      I  cannol  forego  this  per 
formanee,  but.  oh.  I  am  so  very  ill.''     She  sunk   prostrate  Bel 
eral  times  while  making  up,  scarcely  uttering  a  word  during  the 
entire  time;  a  fact  which  In-tokened  the  severity  of  her  illni 
When  slightly  indisposed  she  was  extremely   nervous,  and 
ilv  irritated,  talking  continually  about  her  indisposition. 
on  this  occasion  she  was  satisfied  with   anything,  ami    breathed 
not  a  word  of  complaint.      At  intervals  she  would  cast  a  look  of 
agony  upon  those  around  her,  and  shake  her  head  as  if   in  mute 
despair. 

When  dressed  she  was  fairly  carried  through  the  wings,  and 
just  .-is  she  mad'-  her  entrance,  braced  herself,  savin.:.  ■■  I  mus1 
sing  if  I  die  for  it."  All  look  of  suffering  passed  from  her 
face,  and  in  its  place  there  came  an  expression  almosl  saint-like 
in  its  beauty.  The  manager,  Mr.  Pratt,  his  wife,  and  Miss 
Annandale  occupied  a  box,  and  to  them  the  facl  thai  "M  \ 
holt  was  Buffering  intense  agony,  although  her  rendering  of  the 
pari  of  Elvira  was  perfectly  charming,  was  evidenl  There 
was  something  in  her  face,  her  manner,  and  in  the  quality  ol 


118  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

her  voice  whicli  seemed  more  than  human,  and  seemed  to  in- 
spire them  with  terror. 

Manager  Pratt  left  the  box  at  the  close  of  the  act,  and 
finding  his  fears  confirmed  went  at  once  after  Dr.  Pinkerton, 
who  accompanied  him  to  the  theater.  A  hasty  inquiry  into 
her  condition  revealed  even  then  the  fact  that  she  was  alarm- 
ingly ill.  Of  her  condition  at  that  hour  Dr.  Pinkerton  writes  : 
"I  reached  the  theater  just  before  the  second  act.  She  com- 
plained of  a  terrible  pain  in  the  left  side,  and  informed  me  that 
she  had  a  severe  chill  at  five  that  afternoon.  Her  respirations 
were  forty  per  minute,  pulse  120,  temperature  104^°F.  J  ad- 
vised her  to  have  her  manager  acquaint  the  audience  with  the 
fact  that  she  was  alarmingly  ill,  and  that  she  be  taken  at  once 
to  her  hotel.  This  she  persistently  refused  to  do,  saying  she 
must  sing  that  night.  The  people  who  witnessed  that  perform- 
ance will  probably  never  forget  her  sufferings,  as  it  was  appar- 
ent to  all  that  she  was  dangerously  ill. " 

When  the  united  pleadings  of  Dr.  Pinkerton  and  her  manager 
failed  to  persuade  her  to  "ring  down  "  for  the  evening,  the 
doctor  did  all  in  his  power  to  brace  her  for  the  work,  and  arrest 
the  disease.  A  bottle  of  champagne  was  brought,  and  given 
by  the  teaspoonful,  and  when  the  theater  closed  that  evening, 
although  all  were  aware  of  her  illness,  not  one  dreamed  that 
their  favorite  songstress  had  sung  her  last  note  on  earth. 

From  the  first  the  physicians  had  little  hope  of  saving  their 
patient  on  account  of  her  inability  to  retain  either  food  or  med- 
cine,  and  yet  they  left  no  means  untried.  They  watched  care- 
fully every  symptom,  and  spent  hours  at  her  side. 

The  expressions  of  opinions  by  physicians  at  remote  distances 
to  the  effect  that  Miss  Abbott  was  drugged  to  death  by  hypo- 
dermics of  morphia  sulphate  are  as  unkind  as  they  are  unwise 
and  unprofessional.  Doctors  Pinkerton  and  Bascom  refrained 
from  the  use  of  hypodermics  until  assured  beyond  a  doubt  that 
Miss  Abbott  was  past  all  chance  of  recovery,  and  only  resorted 
to  them  at  that  time  that  her  last  hours  might  be  robbed  of  the 
terrible    agony   which    sometimes   characterizes   the   end   with 


Her  Last   &  re.  119 

victims  of  pneumonia.  Both  assured  Miss  BUerington  that  it 
was  their  last  resort  to  give  their  patient  rest  and  a  peaceful 
death. 

(in  Thursday,  when  visited  by  her  physician,  Miss    \u 
using  an  expression  common  among  the  profession  •• 
future  dates,  remarked  to  him.  "Doctor,  I  think  I  am  booked. 
■  Booked  !  for  where.  Miss  Abbott?"     "  For  Para  Use,  docl 
To  this  the  doctor  replied  thai  should  she  relinquish  bop< 
recoveiy  his  task  would  be  more  difficult,  and  said,  ••  We  rely 
much  upon  your  courage  and  hopefulness  to  carrj  you  through 
' « Ah,  doctor, "  said  she,  -I  shall  sing  mj  oexl  song  in  Beaven. 
But  I'm  not  afraid  to  die,  doctor.  I  in  not  afraid." 

All  day  Friday  the  symptoms  remained  about  the  same ;  the 
patient  suffering  the  most  intense  agony.  To  her  medical  ad- 
viser's inquiry  where  she  suffered  most,  she  answered,  "  Evi 
where,  everywhere;  such  dreadful  pain.''  The  one  thing  mosl 
feared  by  her  physicians  and  dreaded  by  herself  was  delirium, 
i>ut  although  nearly  always  presenl  in  pneumonia,  Miss  \b\ 
mind  remained  clear  from  the  first  until  the  end.  From  the 
beginning  her  hearing  was  impaired,  and  she  often  asked  her 
physicians  if  that  would  return  in  the  event  of  recovery. 

On  Saturday  she  hovered  between  life  and  death,  and  was 
told  of  her  precarious  condition.  Ber  reply  was,  ••  1  know  it" 
She  remembered  the  day  and  date,  and  her  custom  of  Bending 
on  Saturday  of  each  week  a  cheek  to  each  of  her  aged  parents. 
She  was  too  weak  to  raise  her  head,  bul  asked  to  be  supported 
while  she  affixed  her  signature  Cor  the  last  time.  She  realized 
this,   and  said.    -That   is  the  lasl   cheek    I    shall   ever  si 

No,   no,    Miss    Abbott,     replied   her  private   secretary,    Mi 
jadine,  "not   the  last.      I  onlj    wish   I   mighl   become  pos- 
sessor of  all  you   will  yet   sign."     "Ah,  no,  Dan,  that  is  m\ 
lasl  :  for  my  dear  <>ld  father 

Now  and  then  she  would  remark,  "To-morrow  will  in- Sun 
,l:,v.  Sunday,"  betokening  the  fad  thai  Bhe  remembered  the 
date  of  her  husband's  death.  When  asked  bj  the  physician  if 
she  wished  to  transact  anj  business,  Bhe  replied       I  would  like 


120  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

if  it  were  God's  will  to  live  another  year.  I  wanted  to  see  my 
dear  husband's  monument  completed  ;  then,  too,  during  the 
coming  year  I  had  hoped  to  build  a  home  for  my  family,  where 
all  might  live  together,  and  where  when  I  needed  rest  I  might 
retire.  Then  there  is  my  new  opera ;  I  was  having  it  written 
especially  for  my  company  and  myself,  and  I  would  so  much 
like  to  live  to  put  that  on.  These  three  things  I  have  greatly 
desired,  but,  doctor,  if  it  is  God's  will,  I  am  willing  to  die." 

After  this  she  seemed  to  be  thinking  of  the  company,  and 
would  say,   "  On  Monday  the  company  will  go  on — will  go  on, 

and  I must — wait — here,"  showing  that  she   even  yet  hoped 

for  recovery.  When  the  pain  could  no  longer  be  endured  with- 
out greatly  hastening  the  end,  Dr.  Pinkerton  suggested  a 
hypodermic  of  morphia,  that  she  might  gain  a  little  rest ;  she 
consented.  On  Sunday  morning  about  three  o'clock  Miss  El- 
lerington  noted  the  commencement  of  the  peculiar  rattling 
sound  in  the  breathing,  which  to  prevent  her  from  giving  way 
to  grief  the  physician  attributed  to  a  breaking  up  of  mucous  in  the 
throat,  but  to  Alice's  loving  ear  it  foretold  the  approach  of  the 
end,  and  as  she  leaned  forward,  hoping  her  fears  might  prove 
groundless,  the  patient  noted  the  movement  and  inquired  the 
cause.  Now  and  then  she  would  turn  to  the  patient  watcher 
at  her  side  and  say,   ' '  Alice,  dear,  pray  ,    pray  that  I — may — 

live through  this  day  and  this  night ;  Alice — this — day — and 

this night."     At  noon  on  Sunday  Miss  Ellerington  was  sent 

to  her  room  for  a  little  rest,  the  physician  saying,  ' '  You  will 
be  needed  to-night. "  She  remained  absent  only  a  few  hours, 
her  watch  at  the  invalid's  side  being  replaced  by  Mrs.  Pratt, 
Miss  Vernon  and  Miss  Franklin.  At  night  Dr.  Pinkerton  re- 
mained in  an  adjoining  room,  while  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt,  Miss 
Ellerington,  and  Ptosa  also  rested  near,  leaving,  during  the  early 
part  of  the  night,  Miss  Franklin  and  Miss  Vernon  on  watch. 
Soon  after  midnight  Miss  Ellerington  joined  them,  and  detected 
in  the  center  of  the  right  hand  a  spot  which  was  icy  cold.  To 
her  it  seemed  significant,  and  as  she  noted  the  chill  spreading 
and  taking  possession  of  the  entire  hand,  her  heart  sank  within 


Abbott  .mJ  Castle  as  Romeo  and   luliet. 


"  Fm — Not— Afraid."  121 

her,   and  still  she  tried   to    hope.      The   sufferer  caught    onlj 
snatches  of  rest,  and  bo  earnestly    longed  for  the  coming  daj 
that  long  before  the  first  streak  of  light  appeared,  she  ae 
that  the  curtains  might  be  pinned  back  to  admit  the  first  rays 
of  dawn.     About  four  o'clock  Miss  Bllerington  noted  a  chai 
and  called  Dr.    Pinkerton,    to   whom    Miss    A.bbot1    said,       \ 
■wonderful  change  has  taken  place.     Whal  il  is   I  cannot  tell, 
but  it  is  a  wonderful  change."     To  his  inquiry  concerning  the 
pain,  she  replied.  -It  is  all  gone — all  gone."    Slowly  but  BUrely 
she  sank,   rousing  Only   when   some  one  called  her  nam.         M  38 
Ellerington and  Mrs.  Pratt  1  m >t li  said  to  her.    ■  Don'1  yon  know 
me;  can  you  see  me?"  to  which  there  was  do  response      Mrs 
Pratt  saiil.  ••It's  A.ddie,  don't  you  knOw  Addie?"     "Oh! 
Addie. "  replied   the  dying   woman,  and  smiled        ■•   Mice  '  and 

Addie     were  the  last  names  she  ever  uttered. 

On  being  asked  if  she  wished  the  company  called.  Bhe  an- 
swered. ••  The  company — all — all — "'   Every  member  responded, 
and  as  they  tilled  the  hall  and  doorways,  naughl  could  be  heard 
but  sobs  of  anguish.      Michelena,  Pruette,  Broderick,  Mi  I 
mack   and    Consadine,  broke   down,  and    cried    like   children 
while  the  weeping  of  the  ladies  formed  a  sad  accompaniment 
The  sound  of  the  crying  reached   the  ears  of  her  thej  all  so 
tenderly  loved,  so  deeply  mourned,  and   with  an  effort  to 
at  each  she  rallied  for  an  instant  and  said  distinctly,  ■■  / 
not  afraid. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


LL  was  over,  and  in  that  room  and  hallway, 
was  more  than  one,  who,  could  her  life 
have  been  ransomed,  would  gladly  have 
given  their  own.  But  all  that  loving 
hearts  could  do  was  done.  Pra}Ters  for 
the  recovery  of  their  leader  had  been  off- 
ered by  all,  even  by  some  who  were  unused  to  pray  ;  but  Provi- 
dence had  otherwise  ordained,  and  naught  remained  to  comfort 
the  bereaved  ones  but  memories  of  her  womanliness,  her  good- 
ness of  heart,  her  kindness  toward  them. 

As  they  lingered,  loth  to  leave  what  to  them  seemed  the  sa- 
cred atmosphere  which  she  had  breathed,  one  and  another  re- 
called pleasant  incidents  of  their  associations.  Pruette  who 
had  been  a  member  of  the  company  for  ten  years  said,  ' '  There 
was  but  one  Emma  Abbott.  Say  to  all  that  she  was  one  of  the 
truest,  best  women  that  ever  lived. " 

Michelena,  the  tenor,  whose  voice  has  won  admiration  wher- 
ever heard,  in  speaking  of  their  association  both  professional 
and  social,  remarked,  "I  loved  her  with  my  whole  heart.  Not 
with  a  love  born  of  passion,  or  sensual  admiration,  but  for  her 
goodness,  her   purity   of    soul.      She    so  carried  herself  at  all 


Tributes  oj    '.  1  •_•.". 

times,  whatever  the  role  she  filled,  that  do  man  could  associate 
with  her  one  impure  thought     To  me  Bhe  seemed  a  p 
modesty,  fidelity,  purity,  and  goodn<  ss 

Broderick,  who  had  been  with  her  company  for  ten  years, 
said  of  her.  "She  was  my  ideal  woman.  Tender,  sympathetic 
as  a  ebild,  she  was  yet  firm  in  principle,  generous  at  all  times, 
yet  always  dispensing  her  charity  with  a  wise  hand  None  of  as 
will  ever  find  another  Leader  whom  we  will  love  and  trust  as  we 
did  Emma  Abbott.  "  Miss  Annandale  spoke  of  her  with  exceed- 
ing tenderness,  and  in  terms  of  the  highest  admiration,  as  did 
each  member  of  the  company. 

The  citizens  of  Salt  Lake  City  did  all  in  their  power  t'>  show 
their  esteem  for  the  dead  singer,  and  numerous  Bora!  tributes 
were  brought  from  that  far  western  city  to  the  resting  place  in 
Graceland.  A  beautiful  lyre  from  Mr.  Burton,  the  managi 
the  theatre  where  she  appeared  for  the  last  time;  an  anchor 
from  the  hotel  where  she  died  :  an  arch  and  crown  from  the 
Salt  Lake  Choral  society,  and  a  huge  bunch  of  lilies-of-the- 
valley.  from  Mr.  Johnson,  local  correspondent  of  the 
York  Dramatic  Mirror,  beside  the  tributes  from  the  company, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pratt 

In  the  little  parlor  at  Hotel  Templeton,  the  company  held 
their  own  private  funeral  :  and  while  there  was  no  attempt  at 
decoration  or  display  of  any  kind,  every  one  present  was  a 
sincere  mourner.  The  services  were  brief;  the  company  first 
singing,  '-Father.  Hear  Our  Prayer,"  followed  bj  a  prayer 
and  remarks  by  Rev.  McNeece,  of  the  Bait  Lake  Presbyterian 
church.  Then  with  choked  voices  thej  sang,  "  Farewell,  True 
Heart,  "  ■Nearer  M\  God  to  Thee,"  and  "Horn* 
Home. " 

Only  a  few  weeks  before,  Miss  A.bbot1  herself  had  Bung 
"Nearer  My  God  to  Thee"  in  church  at  Minneapolis,  and  be 
fore  the  first  -tan/a  was  completed,  gave  way  to  Bobs.  It  w:i> 
the  firsl  time  Bhe  had  attempted  it  Bince  Mr.  Wetherell's  death, 
and  the  memory  of  bis  funeral,  al  which  the  beautiful  hymn 
was  sung,  overcame  her  completely,  for  a  moment 


12-4:  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

The  Salt  Lake  papers  bestowed  unstinted  praise  on  the  com- 
pany, and  while  their  leader  lay  on  a  bed  of  pain,  patronized 
each  performance  of  the  company  as  if  in  token  of  sympathy. 
And,  when  the  end  came,  the  press  added  its  tribute  to  the 
eloquent  eulogies  everywhere  pronounced  upon  the  dead  singer. 
From  the  Salt  Lake  Daily  Tribune  of  January  6,  the  following 
paragraph  is  clipped. 

"  Emma  Abbott  died  at  Hotel  Templeton  yesterday  morning 
at  7 :  35.  *  *  *  The  morning  sun  broke  through  his  cur- 
tain of  mists  for  a  brief  period  as  if  to  lighten  her  pathway 
from  earth  to  heaven,  and  his  rays  lit  up  the  room  in  which  she 
lay.  The  dying  woman  gazed  lovingly  at  those  who  watched 
at  her  bedside,  and  with  a  smile  faintly  whispered,  '  I  am  not 
afraid.'  Then  the  icy  hand  of  death  swept  over  the  lute 
strings  of  life,  and  the  voice  of  the  singer  was  hushed,  while 
another  soul  winged  its  way  out  into  the  great  Eternit}\ 
Away  in  boundless  space  to  the  somewhere,  where  amid  golden 
castle  walls  purple  banners  float,  and  white-robed  angels  guard 
the  parapets,  her  loved  one  waited  for  her,  where  the  crown  is 
hers,  and  where  in  the  beautiful  land  of  delight,  she  has  found 
the  husband  gone  before. 

' '  Emma  Abbott  was  dear  to  every  American  heart.  The 
music  of  her  voice  was  to  us  all  like  the  sound  of  silver  bells ; 
there  was  blessing  in  her  smile,  and  joy  in  her  silvery  laugh. 
It  may  be  that  it  was  best,  but  there  is  not  one  in  this  broad 
land  to-day  who  ever  knew  her  or  heard  her  sing,  that  does  not 
regret  her  sad  death.  She  never  forgot  ner  native  home  al- 
though petted  and  feted  by  the  creme  de  la  creme  of  other 
lands,  and  among  her  dearest  friends  were  those  she  had  known 
in  her  darkest  days. " 

Since  the  assassination  of  Presidents  Lincoln  and  G-arfield  no 
death  has  occurred  in  the  United  States  which  has  been  the 
subject  of  newspaper  comment  so  general  and  grief  so  fervent, 
as  that  of  Emma  Abbott.  The  first  telegram  of  Wednesday 
morning,  Jan.  1,  which  announced  her  as  "dangerously  ill," 
caused  anxiety  to  every  heart  which  heard  or  read  the  news, 


thy.  125 

and  from  that  until  the  end  the  news  from  Bait  I. 
eagerly  awaited 

When  the  press  telegram  announced  her  a  "little  bet 
every  waiting  la-art  said  "Thank  God,"  and  when  on  the  other 
hand,  word  came  that   there  was   little  hope,  all   heart* 
stricken,  and  still  all  hoped  that  a  kind  Providence  might 

the  Mow. 

On  Saturday  the  invalid    received    telegrams   from   \ 
localities,    expressing   sympathy   and   Baying   t.»   her.  "B 
la-art.  have  courage        These  came  from  the  press,  from  so 
ties,  clubs,  theater  managers  and   personal  friends.     T       \ 
York   World  wired  the  following:      "Courage,   brave   b< 
our  sympathies  are  with  you."     The  /.  J  ent  a 

telegram,  saying,  "You  have  in  your  illness  the  love  and  sym 
pathy  of  the  general- public.  We  all  pray  for  your  n 
On  Sunday.  January  .">.  prayers  were  offered  in  many  of  tin- 
Catholic  churehes  of  the  country,  and  also  in  orthodox  chuj 
many  a  minister  offered  a  prayer  in  behalf  of  the  woman  who 
had  by  her  purity  of  thought  and  action,  her  generosity,  and 
her  consistent  life  commanded  their  esteem. 

On  Monday  manager  Pratt  and  the  Abbot)  family  were  the 
recipients  of  messages  of  condolence  and  regret,  and  these  were 
followed  by  others  expressing  esteem  and  love  for  the  dead. 

<  >n  Tuesday  evening  the  company  with  their  precious  charge 
staited  eastward,  and  at  stations  along  the  route  were  mel  by 
expressions  of  regard  and  reverence  for  the  dead,  and  dem 
onstrations  of  sorrow.  The  newspapers  of  Tuesday  and  ever} 
day  thereafter  for  a  fortnight,  contained  the  most  eloquent, 
touching  tributes  to  the  memory  of  the  dead  singer  Almost 
every  journal  in  the  country  contained  an  editorial  on  the  sad 
eventj  and  the  tone  of  all  these,  together  with  the  public  ex 
pression,  betokened  the  facl  that  the  country  was  in  mourning 
for  one  well  beloved. 

The  gad  cortege  arrived  in  Chicago  on  Friday  morning,  Jan 
10,  and  to  the  Chicago  Tribum  of  that  dale  the  author  la  In 
clebted  for  the  following  account  of  the  arrival  of  the  comp 


126  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

the  funeral  services,  and  the  eloquent  addresses  of  Prof.  Swing 
and  Dr.  Thomas. 

"  At  9  :  15  o'clock  the  first  section  of  the  train  rolled  into  the 
station.  All  the  members  of  the  Emma  Abbott  Opera  Com- 
pany, sixty  in  number,  came  on  with  the  remains.  Undertaker 
Jordan  was  there,  and  soon  the  big  pine  box  containing  the 
casket  was  lifted  out  of  the  baggage  car  and  reverently  borne 
by  stalwart  porters  to  the  waiting  hearse.  Every  hat  was 
lifted  as  the  little  procession  passed,  and  a  strange  hush  fell  for 
a  moment  or  two  on  the  nois}T  station. 

"On  the  box  were  a  number  of  pathetically  faded  and  with- 
ered floral  tributes  from  friends  in  Salt  Lake  City.  There  was 
a  triumphal  arch  with  the  inscription  'Emma  Abbott'  in  purple 
letters,  surmounted  by  a  cross,  and  hanging  pendant  from  the 
crown  of  the  arch  a  great  white  crown.  Arch,  cross,  and  crown 
were  of  smilax,  lilies,  and  white  hyacinths.  This  was  from  the 
Salt  Lake  Choral  Society. 

<  <  A  lyre  of  white  hyacinths  was  from  the  Salt  Lake  Theater. 
Without  cards  attached  were  an  anchor  of  white  flowers,  a  cross 
of  golden  roses  and  a  heart  of  crimson  roses.  Faded  and 
withered,  but  with  a  faint,  sweet  fragrance  exhaling  from  the 
dead  petals,  they  were  fitting  emblems  of  the  quiet,  resting 
woman  within  the  casket. 

< '  From  the  depot  the  hearse  proceeded  at  once  to  Undertaker 
Jordan's  place,  at  Nos.  14  and  16,  Madison  street.  The  casket 
displayed  when  the  pine  box  was  opened  was  a  fully  decorated 
metal  casket,  finished  to  represent  burled  walnut,  and  almost 
overloaded  with  silvered  ornaments.  On  the  panels  of  the 
cover  were  a  silver  wreath,  and  a  torch  in  raised  metal.  The 
plain  silver  tablet  bore  the  name  and  age  of  the  prima  donna. 

' '  On  opening  the  casket  it  was  evident  that  tender,  loving 
hands  had  been  busily  careful  to  make  easy  the  last  long  jour- 
ney of  its  occupant.  Peaceful  and  quiet  she  lay  amid  the 
quilted  satin  linings,  and  the  scattered  roses  and  smilax  lay 
undisturbed  on  the  gold-specked  illusion  about  the  sleeping 
face.     The  white  right  hand  yet  held  a  spray  of  lilies  of  the 


Her  L  //  l  g  7 

valley,  nor  had  the  bunch  of  white  roses  an-l  maidenhair  fern 
fallen  from  the  rigid  left  hand.  She  was  arrayed  in  a  superb 
gown  of  white  watered  silk  with  Bilk  embroidered  lilacs  white 
and  purple,  both  in  stitch  and  appliqm  ;  the  broad  side  1 
of  pale  lilac  velvet  were  caughl  to  tin-  exquisitely  embroidered 
front  with  broideries  of  heads  and  pearls.  Tin-  long,  swi  -pin- 
train  of  dull  green  velvet  and  white  silk  was  richly  covered 
witli  masses  of  lilac  blrKsom>  i,,  applique.  This  was  the  robe 
she  wore  as  Elvira  in  "Ernani,"  the  lasl  opera  in  which  she 
ever  sang. 

"There  was   but    little  for   the    undertaker   t«.  do,   and 

the  cover  was  screwed  down.     At  in  :  20o'clock  the  caskel 
again  placed  in  the  hearse  and  taken  to  the  Continental  Hotel. 

"At  the  head  of  the  main  staircase  a  portrait  Of  the  dead 
prima  donna,  heavily  draped  in  black,  was  hung.  At  10:30 
o'clock  the  casket  was  taken  upstairs  to  room  68,  where  Mra 
Abbott,  venerable  with  her  76  years  of  life,  in  deepesl  sorrow 
waited  to  receive  the  dead  body  of  her  child.  The  door  closed 
and  Emma  Abbott  was  for  the  last  time  alone  with  her  mother, 
her  sister,  and  brothers.  In  that  room  were  her  aged  father 
and  mother,  her  uncle,  F.  B.  Abbotl  :  her  brothers,  Frederick 
M.  Abbott  and  Leon  Abbott;  her  sister.  Mrs.  Lizzie  Abbott 
Clark;  her  brother-in-law,  Henry  C.  Clark,  and  her  cousin. 
Charles  Palmer. 

"It  was  at  first  intended  that,  no  other  person  should  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  room,  but  when  it  was  learned  that  there  would 
not  be  any  opportunity  to  look  on  the  [ace  of  the  stilled  song 
stress  at  Central  Music  Ball,  many  dose  and  intimate  friends 
begged  that  they  should  not  be  deprived  of  that  last  consolation. 
After  an  hour  of  privacy  a  large  number  of  Friends,  cbieflj  of 
the  theatrical  profession,  were  admitted, 

"Among  these  were:  Mr.  and   Mi-    Elward,    Mr   and  Mi 
Bunker,  Mr.  and   Mrs.  Kendal.  Mr.  and   Mrs.    Regan,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Frederick  W.  Friese,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Skinner.  Mrs.  Rounds, 
Mrs.  Oliver.   Mrs.    Kehl,    Mrs.    Biltabridell,  Mrs.  Frank  Lorn 
bard,  Mrs.   Eunice  Masterman,   Mrs,    A     K.    Day,  of  Lincoln, 


128  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

Neb. ;  Miss  Lulu  Hiltabridell,  Miss  Lutie  Lombard,  Miss  Agnes 
Ellerington,  Miss  Livingstone,  Miss  Ada  Friese,  Miss  Carlotta 
Banks,  Mr.  "Con.  H.  Tafe,  Mr.  M.  McKenzie,  Mr.  Bloom,  Mr. 
Sutherland,  Mr.  McCullough,  Mr.  Leo  Morley,  Mr.  H.  Fer- 
nandez, Mr.  Withie,  Mr.  FitzPatrick,  Mr.  H.  Kahn,  Mr.  L.  H. 
Bisbee,  Mr.  Dan  Consadine,  Mr.  William  Pruette,  Mr.  L.  Liv- 
ingstone, Mr.  L\  B.  Hodges. 

"At  1  o'clock  the  room  was  again  closed  to  all  but  the 
family,  and  soon  after  the  preparations  for  the  funeral  proces- 
sion to  Central  Music  Hall  were  begun. 

"Meantime,  long  before  noon,  Central  Music  Hall  began  to 
be  besieged  by  thousands  anxious  to  witness  the  imposing  cere- 
monies, and  before  1  o'clock  every  available  seat  in  the  house 
was  filled.  The  doors  were  locked  and  not  again  opened  until 
the  close  of  the  ceremonies,  but  still  the  crowd  swelled  and 
grew,  filling  halls  and  corriders,  jamming  the  stairways  and  ex- 
tending out  over  the  sidewalk.  It  was  a  crowd  of  women 
chiefly,  and  with  grim  determination  they  held  their  ground, 
hoping  against  hope  for  admission. 

' '  The  arrangements  within  were  admirable.  All  the  seats  in 
the  parquet  were  reserved  for  the  funeral  party,  and  by  the 
forethought  of  Manager  Harmon  all  the  boxes  were  held  for 
the  reporters. 

' '  The  stage  was  a  vast  mass  of  flowers.  Black  hangings  draped 
the  organ  loft,  with  festoons  of  smilax  and  with  white  and  pink 
lilies  and  roses  scattered  between  the  loops.  Enormous  cur- 
tains of  black  hung  over  the  gilded  organ  pipes  on  either  side, 
festooned  with  soft  green  ropes  of  smilax.  The  rear  of  the 
platform  was  also  draped  with  funereal  black,  upon  which  hung 
two  immense  wreaths  of  pink  and  white  flowers,  under  which  in 
great  letters  of  white  flowers  appeared  a  fac-simile  of  the  auto- 
graph of  Emma  Abbott.  In  the  center  of  the  stage  rose  a 
lyre  full  six  feet  high  of  lilies,  h}Tacinths,  and  pink  roses,  the 
broken  strings  being  in  purple.  The  great  base  was  disposed 
pillow-wise  and  was  made  of  pure  white  flowers.  Upon  this 
surface  in  deep  purple  was  designed  a  musical  staff   with  the 


Emma  Abbott  a    losephine,  the  1  rench  Empress. 


77/'    /•**  neral   < 

notes    E,    A,    followed    by    a    full    rest    and    with    U 
"Finale"  written  above.     On   black   draped  tablets,   In 
were  bunches  of    loose   rosea      On 

were  great  mounds  of  growing  [minis  and  longiflora  Lilies 
in  blossom.  High  above  each  mound  towered  a  beautiful  lau- 
rel tret'.  Many  beautiful  floral  designs  were  scattered  about, 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  a  broken-stringed  \\  re  of  white  lilies, 
the  base  being  formed  of  wheat  sheaves  and  a  great  clusti  i 
Mermet  roses  glowing  like  pink  coral,  the  favorite  fl 
her  in  whose  memory  they  were  Bent 

••  The  deep  silence  within  was  unbroken,  though  the  galleries 
were  packed  to  the  roof,  Bave  for  the  impatienl  knocking  at 
times  on  the  fast-locked  doors  by  those  outside  anxious  I  i 
in.  It  was  a  tense  silence  full  of  pain,  broken  at  last,  after  an 
hour  of  waiting,  by  the  wailing  notes  of  Chopin's  •  Marche 
Funebre'  muffled  into  saddest  melancholy  by  the  black  funereal 
hangings.  As  the  solemn  notes  welled  oul  from  the  organ  un- 
der Harrison  Wild's  fingers,  the  procession  of  the  dead  ap- 
peared. First,  Professor  David  Swing  and  Dr.  II.  W.  Thomas, 
then  the  six  honorary  pall-bearers  J.  II  McVicker  of  xl 
Vieker's  Theater ;  Milward  Adam-,  of  the  Auditorium  j  Thoa 
W.  Prior,  of  the  Chicago  Opera  Bouse;  Harrj  I.  Hamlin 
the  Grand  Opera  House  ;  Harry  J.  Power-,  of  Hoolej  b,  and  Wil- 
liam J.  Davis,  of  the  Columbia  Then  the  casket,  upborne  bj 
James  Lorange,  Richard  Karl,  George  Kenney,  J.  I!  Murchie, 
Daniel  Consadine,  and  William  Pruette,  all  members  of  the 
Emma  Abbott  Opera  Company. 

Following  the  casket  came  white  haired  Seth  Abbott  and  his 
wife,  hiding  her  tears  under  her  heavy  veil,  the  father  and 
mother;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  II  C  Clark,  Leon  and  Frederick  M 
Abbott,  I'.  15.  Abbott,  then  the  more  Intimate  friends;  then 
the  members  of  the  company,  manj  still  in  the  travel-stained 
garments  of  thai  long,  dreary  ride;  and  Anally  twent)  five  Elks 
from  the  Chicago  lodge  wearing  white  gloves  and  crape  b 
,„,  the  left  arm  As  the  casket  was  laid  before  the  platform 
the  keen,  high  notes  of  the  march  wailed  out  piercingly  onlj  to 


130  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

sink  again    into   the   muffled,    sobbing   rhythm   of   the   deep, 
solemn  basso. 

'  'A  hush  as  of  the  grave  itself  followed,  broken  by  the  song  of 
the  chosen  quartet — tenor,  Whitney  Mockridge  ;  soprano,  Mrs. 
Genevra  Johnston  Bishop  ;  contralto,  Mrs.  Marie  Hester;  basso, 
George  Ellsworth  Holmes.  They  sang  Dudley  Buck's  arrange- 
ment of  Cardinal  Newman's  royal  hymn,   'Lead,  Kindly  Light' 

' '  The  family  and  the  troupe  occupied  the  seats  to  the  left, 
and  the  pall-bearers  and  lodge  of  Elks  those  to  the  right. 
Between  them  in  the  aisle  rested  the  casket.  It  bore  a  wreath 
of  roses  and  lilies  from  the  troupe,  at  the  head  the  pillow  of 
rest  from  the  Elks,  and  over  the  hushed  heart  two  palm  branches 
with  a  knot  of  white  roses  fastened  with  sweeping  white  ribbon. 
As  the  song  ceased  with  a  whispered  amen,  Professor  Swing 
began  to  read : 

' ' '  Lord  let  me  know  the  number  of  my  days. 

Surely  every  man  walketh  in  a  vain  shadow. 

Before  the  mountains  were  brought  forth,  or  ever  Thou  hadst 
formed  the  earth  or  the  world,  from  everlasting  to  everlasting, 
Thou  art  God. 

For  a  thousand  years  in  Thy  sight  are  but  as  yesterday  when 
it  is  past  and  as  a  watch  in  the  night. 

So  teach  us  to  number  our  days,  that  we  may  apply  our 
hearts  to  wisdom. 

And  behold  I  show  you  a  mystery  :  We  shall  not  all  sleep, 
but  we  shall  all  be  changed.  For  this  corruptible  must  put  on 
incoiTuption  and  this  mortal  must  put  on  immortality.  Then 
shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written,  Death  be 
swallowed  up  in  victory. ' 

' '  Dr.  Thomas  then  rose  and  uttered  the  following  prayer  : 

"  'Almighty  Father,  so  teach  us  to  number  our  days  that  we 
may  apply  our  hearts  to  wisdom,  and  while  we  spend  these 
years  that  are  as  a  tale  that  is  told,  so  teach  us  that  we  may 
understand  the  meaning  of  life  and  bring  to  pass  great  things. 
Teach  us  how  we  may  live  in  the  world  of  mind,  in  the  world 
of  spirit,  of  love,  justice  and  mercy,  in  that  world  where  we 


-!  <    /'  13  1 

can  enter  when  the  storm  comes  and  all  earthly  entering* 
useless.  We  pray  Thy  blessing  upon  those  who  are  near  to  us 
in  our  sorrow.  May  -real  peace  come  upon  these  aged  om 
afflicted.  May  the  mantle  of  this  dear  one  rest  upon  those  who 
an-  left  And  may  these  sorrowing  ours  realize  thai  we  are 
now  in  the  world  of  immortality,  there  is  do  death,  we  are  now 
touching  eternities  beyond.  Bless  those  who  have  been 
ciated  with  her.  Give  blessings  to  the  main  who  have  known 
and  loved  her.  Bless  the  profession  she  so  honored  Even 
the  amusements  of  this  world  become  sacred,  that  holiness  ma\ 
lie  written  on  every  page  of  the  universe,  that  at  last  the  world 
may  say,  'Thy  kingdom  come  Thy  will  he  done  on  earth  as  in 
heaven.'  And  may  we  all  learn,  may  lite  he  more  serious  and 
earnest,  the  future  hold  more  of  life  and  hope  Max  we  go  OUl 
from  here  more  considerate  to  each  other.  One  whisper  of 
loving  words  in  life  is  worth  more  than  all  the  garlands  loving 
hands  can  place  above  the  dead.  May  we  learn  to  love  even  as 
Christ  loved  that  in  the  end  we  may  come  into  the  kingdom. 
Amen. ' 

"Outside  could  be  heard  the  talking  of  the  greal  crowd  that 
only  accentuated  the  dead  stillne>s  within,  and  then,  pure  as  a 
lark's  note,  rang  out  a  single  soprano.  With  a  sob  in  everj 
note  that  shook  all  hearts.  Mis.  Bishop,  looking  down  on  the 
coffin  of  her  loved  dead  friend,  sang,  ■  I  know  that  m\  Redeemer 
liveth.'  from  Handel-  'Messiah.1  Sweetly,  triumphantly,  yet 
with  infinite  sadness,  rang  out  the  word-,  and  then  the  Bong 
hushed  to  a  whisper.  Professor  Swing  then  came  to  the  plat 
form  edge.      He  said  : 

■  •  •  Knglish  statesmen  ha \c  mentioned  with  pride  that  the  morn 

ing  drum-beat  of  the   English  soldiers  was  heard  around  the 

world        Such    a    reveille    docs  indeed    indicate    the    spread    of   a 

great  language  and  a  greal  power,  bul  it  must  be  thoughl  only 
a  forerunner  of  thai  better  daj  when  the  world  Bhall  be  girdled 
with  song 

' «  <  Song  stands  lor  so  much  thai   IS  besl   in  human  nature  that 
the    soul    of    man    is    said    at    Lasl     to    enter    heaven    with    son- 


132  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

Happy  are  those  toilers  or  travelers  deemed  who  sing  as  they 
work  or  journey.  Jean  Paul  Richter  said  a  good  song  seemed 
to  his  heart  to  be  the  'Evening  hymn  of  this  life  and  the  morn- 
ing hymn  of  the  life  to  come. ' 

'  '  '  Thus  all  music  binds  the  two  worlds  together.  It  bridges 
the  gulf  between  time  and  eternit}T,  and  makes  the  abyss  less 
terrible  to  those  who  must  cross  over.  Not  only  Mozart  but 
millions  of  mortals  have  passed  upward  amid  joyful  song. 

--  'All  music  is  one  art,  just  as  all  streams  and  oceans  are  one 
water,  and  as  all  above  us  is  one  sky.  The  artists  who  created 
the  opera  made  also  a  better  hymn  for  the  sanctuary ;  and  the 
holy  religion  of  the  centuries  has  been  present  to  deepen  the 
meaning  of  the  tones  which  were  to  be  poured  forth  from  amid 
the  scenery  of  the  stage.  The  opera  and  the  church  have 
helped  each  other  to  sweeter  tones.  It  requires  all  of  human 
sentiment  to  create  a  great  art.  Laughter  and  tears  must  com- 
bine ;  the  dancing  child,  the  anxious  patriot,  the  d}Ting  mortal 
must  meet  in  the  temple  of  the  painter,  the  sculptor,  the 
musician.  That  song,  '  The  Last  Rose  of  Summer, '  belongs  in 
part  to  religion  because  the  leaves  of  those  scattered  blossoms 
fall  on  the  grave  of  man. 

"  '  To  the  musical  compositions  of  Mendelssohn  called  '  Songs 
without  words, '  the  heart  may  add  what  words  are  most  precious 
in  the  passing  hour,  for  all  classic  music  is  like  the  flowers  of 
the  field — a  decoration  of  a  cabin  or  a  palace — a  wreath  for  the 
grave  or  the  cradle. 

' '  '  Emma  Abbott  was  born  into  this  high  art.  Her  father  was 
a  teacher  of  music.  Her  home  was  full  of  song.  It  is  a  great 
destiny  for  a  woman  to  be  born  unto  a  mission  of  music.  She 
holds  a  sway  which  is  as  wide  as  it  is  benevolent.  Not  all  per- 
sons desire  to  hear  the  orator  when  he  speaks ;  not  all  can 
follow  his  theme  or  his  argument ;  to  man}*  the  painter's  canvas 
is  dull  and  the  sculptor's  statue  fine,  but  dead ;  but  when  music 
speaks  the  human  heart  listens  ;  be  it  young  or  old,  rich  or 
poor,  sad  or  happy. 

' ' '  Not  only  has  this  art  the  widest  sweep,  but  it  surpasses  in 


vf.  Swing's  Add 

power  the  sister  arts.     Music  can  draw  tears  which  painter  and 
sculptor  and  architect  arc  powerless  to  start.     Musi, 
full  of  inspirations.   Longings,    visions,   spirituality,   ambition, 
and  hope.     It  is  democratic  and  generous,  for  it  offers  its  riches 

to  all.  and  to  all  in  almost  equal  shares.  The  king  and  the 
humblest  subject  arc  equal  heirs.  It  wbjb  a  goodness  of  God 
that  permitted  this  child  to  carry  this  art  in  her  bosom  to  ami 
fro  in  the  world  while  many  a  season  came  and  went. 

•••Music  will  not  make  virtue  and  morals,  but  it  will  aid  them 
to  come  and  expand.  No  Learning,  no  culture,  no  art  will  ab 
solutely  make  noble  all  who  touch  cither  or  all.  Nature  has  DO 
absolute  certainties  about  the  soul  ;  but  this  we  know,  thai 
many  millions  of  persons  are  made  better  by  the  knowledge, 
the  culture,  the  art  of  our  race.  Music  is  one  of  those  moun- 
tains on  which  a  pure  Light  falls.  It  helps  the  good  mind  by 
becoming  to  it  a  Language  better  than  that  of  words  After 
words  have  all  failed  this  new  eloquence  Bprings  up  and  carries 
man  onward.  A.s  prose  asks  poetry  to  help  it  reach  a  higher 
power,  so  poetry  ask>  music  to  become  its  Elijah  chariot 

';  -It  is    with  tears  of    regret  and  admiration  that  we  Consign 

this  singer  to  the  dust.  She  brought  melodies  t<»  the  whole 
people,  and  thus  made  melody  spring  up  in  the  homes  of  the 
land.  A  pure  opera  presided  over  by  a  genius  in  the  art  and 
by  a  being  high  and  beautiful  in  her  Life,  does  not  end  when 
the  curtain  falls,  but  the  sound-  go  borne  with  the  scattering 
throng,  and  the  sentiments  awakened  in  one  evening  spread 
over  many  a  subsequent  year.  The  patriotic  hymns  of  our 
country  and  the  hymns  <>f  religion  redouble  their  beauty  when 
a  great  voice  has  passed  by,  for  all  art  is  one,  and  as  the  elo- 
quenl  Massillon  and  Pitt  and  Webster  make  all  speech  reach 
more  .eloquence,  bo  the  gifted  children  of  Bong  make  the  eight 

notes  rise  to  a  new  power  in  all  our  hearts.  I'nr  rich  hour  will 
inspire  a  lifetime. 

•  ■  •  Kmma  Al»h«»ti  died  toosoon  .  bul  Bhe  abates  grief  by  having 
Lived  beautifully.  Her  destiny  was  nol  thai  of  music  only,  bul 
it  was  that  of  a  wide  and  rich  womanhood     She  was  a  sister  to 


134  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

the  womanhood  joined  to  her  in  her  operatic  company.  The 
task-master  was  also  the  friend.  Her  compan}r  journeyed  in  a 
helpful  friendship.  Her  life  was  sincere,  unassuming,  beauti- 
fully human,  and  as  religious  as  are  most  of  the  Christian  lives. 
From  her  childhood  to  her  last  day  in  our  world  her  life  was 
all  of  one  color.  It  underwent  no  rude  or  sad  changes.  Emma 
Abbott,  the  child;  Emma  Abbott,  the  girl,  flushed  with  her 
first  success,  and  Emma  Abbott,  dying  in  the  far  West,  were 
one  and  the '  same  tint  of  mind  and  heart.  Her  music,  her 
friendships,  her  justice,  her  religion,  all  meet  now  to  make  for 
her  friends  a  deeper  sorrow,  but  a  richer  memory. 

"  '  It  must  have  been  while  looking  down  upon  such  a  face  in 
its  stillness,  Father  Ryan  thought  out  his  pathetic  verses  : 

'Out  of  the  silence  wake  me  a  song, 

Beautiful,  sad,  soft,  and  low, 
Let  the  loveliest  music  sound  along 
And  wing  each  note  with  a  tale  of  woe 
Dim  and  drear 
As  hope's  last  tear. 
Out  of  the  silence  wake  me  a  hymn 
Whose  sounds  are  like  shadows  soft  and  dim. 

'Out  of  the  darkness  flash  me  a  song 
Brightly  dark  and  darkly  bright, 
Let  it  sweep  as  a  lone  star  sweeps  along 
The  mystical  shadows  of  the  night. 
Sing  it  sweet 
Where  nothing  is  drear  or  dark  or  dim 
And  earth  song  soars  into  heavenly  hymn.' 

< ' '  Fitting  verses  as  it  would  seem  for  that  woman  who  whis- 
pered with  failing  lips:  'My  next  song  will  be  sung  in  heaven.'" 

' '  There  was  a  moment's  pause  as  he  ceased,  and  then  Dr. 
Thomas  stood  in  his  place.      Dr.  Thomas  said  : 

' ' '  No  one  liveth  to  himself.  Being  and  the  relations  of  being 
are  inseparable.  Of  all  the  millions  on  earth  each  life  is  re- 
lated to  some  other  life.  And  hence  no  one  dieth  to  himself. 
The  death  of  each  one,  young  or  old,  rich  or  poor — toiler,  sea- 
man, soldier,  artist,  orator,  scholar,  poet,  scientist — is  felt  by 
some  other  heart. 


Them    Who  Loved  II  i    I 

Ui  When  one  whose  Life  has  reached  out  and  become  a 
many  Lives  goes  away  from  our  Bhores  the  e  and 

sorrow  is  correspondingly    Larger.     The  sudden  departure 
this  richly  gifted  and  beautiful  spirit  h:i-  clouded  th< 
the  new  year,  and  caused  tears  to  tall  in  many   homes  and  in 
lands  far  away.     The  death  of  Emma  Abbott  is  a  loss  t"  tin- 
world  of  song,  and  many,  many  are  sadly  saying     lWe  -hall 
hear  her  sweet  voice  on  earth  no  more. 

•••In  the  midst  of  this  Large  and  sympathetic  audience,  gath- 
ered here  to  honor  her  memory,  there  are  hearts  that  think 
now  of  the  name  and  fame  <>f  the  departed  one.     <  Lathered  near 
this  coffin  are  those  who  called  her  child  and  sister    the  i 
father  and  mother,  ami  those  left  of  the  earthly    home  where 
her  childhood  years  were  spenl   playing  in  the  yard  ami  garden 
and  singing  her  little  songs.     They  remember  the  str 
those  early  years  when  she  walked  with  lar  father  from  place 
to  plaee  and  sung  in  the  iud<_rlil>< >i'hilI  BChool-houseS  and  \  ilia 
and    dearer    to    these    hearts   than   all    the   honors   won    in   after 
years  from  kings  and  courts  is  the  memory  of  her  pure,  !■• 
heart  and  life.     To  these  sorrowing  ones  Bhe  was  never,  even  in 
the  midst  of  her  splendid  success,  any  the  Less  child  and  Bister. 
And  it  was  the  greatesl  joy   of  this  devoted  child  to  be  able  to 

help  care  for   those   who   had    eared    for    her.       She  never  fo 

or  grew  away  from  her  childhood  associations  .  and  plan-  ■ 
found  to  build  here  in  our  city,  where  she  was  born,  a  beauti- 
ful home  where  the  aged  ones  might  rest,  ami  all  be  together 

again. 

'  lathered  near  this  coffin  are  the  members  of  her  company  . 
with  them  Bhe  journeyed  and  sung;  and  to  these  faithful  com 
panions  this  death  musl  l"'  a  tender  Loss  and  sorrow  Beyond 
thesearethe  thousands  of  artists  and  the  mourning  people  in 

the  Cities  Of  OUr  own  and  Other  la  ml-  who  mourn  with  US  t.. 

for  Bmma  Abbott,  lil«-  a  Stanley    in  journalism  and  a  Beecber 
and  a  Chapin  in  the  pulpit,  honored  the  p  ,  to  which  she 

belonged;  and  she  Bang  t..  the  greal   heart  of  the  world,  and 
more,   perhaps,   than   any  other  Bince  the  d 


136  Life  of  Mima  Abbott. 

Nilsson  and  Jenny  Lind  ;  and  along  with  Anna  Louise  Cary 
and  Abbie  Carrington,  who  still  sing,  was  she  dear  to  the  non- 
professional and  yet  music-loving  public. 

"  'Against  her  social  reputation  there  was  never  a  breath  of 
suspicion,  and  the  unquestioned  purity  of  her  life  did  not  a  lit- 
tle to  lessen  the  prejudices  and  to  rebuke  the  harsh,  unjust  crit- 
icisms of  the  clergy  and  the  church.  She  compelled  the  re- 
spect of  all  ;  she  was  admired  and  loved  by  those  who  knew 
her  personal  worth.  She  helped  elevate  the  character,  and  in- 
spired with  a  noble  zeal  and  purpose  the  drama  of  her  time. 
Thousands  of  young  and  aspiring  artists  have  felt  the  inspira- 
tion of  this  noble  life,  and  will  themselves  be  greater  and  bet- 
ter because  she  added  to  greatness  the  crown  of  goodness. 

' ' '  Upon  few,  if  any,  of  the  social  questions  of  our  day  has 
the  change  of  the  better  class  of  public  opinion  been  greater  of 
late  years  than  in  the  kindlier  and  more  appreciative  attitude  of 
the  church  toward  the  stage.  This  is  owing,  in  part,  to  the 
gradual  wearing  away  of  the  sharp  lines  once  drawn  between 
the  church  and  the  world.  The  larger  intelligence  of  the  pres- 
ent is  beginning  to  see  that  the  qualitity  of  goodness  is  the 
same  wherever  found,  and  that  the  drama  has  its  place  and 
value ;  that  between  the  hours  of  work  and  worship  there  are 
hours  when  the  mind  and  heart  may  find  rest  and  improvement 
in  the  diversions  and  lessons  of  the  opera  and  the  play.  And 
then  the  character  of  the  singers  and  players  has  shared  in  the 
common  growth  of  morals  in  all  the  departments  of  life,  so 
that  the  more  thoughtful  minds  now  no  longer  ask,  How  shall 
we  get  rid  of  the  drama?  but  how  shall  its  evils  be  lessened 
and  its  greatest  power  for  good  be  realized? 

"  'Not  pausing  long,  perhaps,  if  at  all,  to  theorize,  Emma 
Abbott  quietly  entered  this  field  of  labor,  and,  it  may  be,  with- 
out any  aim  at  first  of  making  it  better,  but  simply  with  the 
noble  resolve  to  be  herself  good.  And  in  that  way  she  came  to 
know  and  to  value  the  good  in  others,  and  by  the  simple  power 
of  her  own  life  and  personality  she  has  helped  make  the  posi- 
tion of  the  conscientious  artist  one  of  the  most  honorable,  and 


> 


\ 


Emma  Abbot!  as  Lucia  d'  Lammem 


Emma  Abbott   Du  d  t 

of  that  honor  she  was  herself  justly  proud  and  tend*  i 
tive.     She  did  not  play  on  the  Sabbath,  but  used  that  daj 
rest  and  worship.     In  a  Southern  city,  where  she  attended 
vice  one  Sabbath  morning,  and  heard  the  minister  denounce  the 
Btage  in  almost  unmeasured  terms,  she  asked  the  privilege  of  re- 
plyihg  after  the  audience  was  dismissed,  and  Bhe  was  heard  in 
its  vindication.     She  was  herself   a  Christian,  and  lived  a  life 
of  faith  and  prayer. 

'•  'The  deatli  of  this  noble  woman  leave-  our  world  poorer  in 
that  which  it  needs  be  richer.     The  power  <>f  music  to  charm 

and  bless  has  not  vet  been  realized;    the  missi f   -nn-   has 

only  begun  :  the  time  will  come  when  the  true  dramatic  artists 
will  take  their  places  as  among  the  recognized  backers  and 
helpers  in  all  that  is  good.  The  great  chorus  of  humanity  i- 
3Tet  to  be  heard  in  the  glad  day  when  all  the  people  shall  Bing. 

■■•  It  is  deeply  to  he  regretted  that  this  child  of  song,  this 
pure  spirit  of  earth,  has  gone  away  so  soon.  Had  she  obeyed 
the  word  of  her  physician  it  might  have  been  different  ;  but 
only  those  who  serve  the  public  know  how  hard  it  i-  to  disap- 
point that  public;  ami  how  many  sing  and  -peak  when  they 
should  rest  and  sleep.  It  was  her  energy  that  made  her  what 
she  was,  that  nerved  her  to  thai  last  effort.  Such  voice  culture 
and  power  come  only  at  the  end  of  hard  years  of  Btudy. 
Emma  Abbott  was  yet  in  the  rich  summer  time  of  life,  ami 
there  should  have  been  many  years  before  the  autumn  and  the 
winter. 

•■  -It  is  strange  and  pathetic  to  think  how  all  the  treasures  "t 
learning,  of   scholarship,  of   poetry  and  ait  are  held  in  I 
frail  earthen  vessels  ;    in  brains  and  hearts  that  tire,  that  wear 

out  or  break  down  by  the  way.  Oh.  it  musl  he  that  this  i>  the 
beginning,  and  not  the  end ;  that  the  spirits  of  earth  go  awaj 
to  live  and  love,  to  think  ami  sing  in  some  other  land  that  i> 
better.     This  was  the  blessed  faith  and  hope  that  lived  in  this 

heart  that  heats  no  more.  ■  I  -hall  sin-  m\  n.\t  BOng  in 
heaven  ■  I  am  not  afraid  to  die         And   I   think  that   her   hold 

on  life  was    weakened    by    the   great    SOrrOW    through    which    she 


138  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

had  passed,  and  that  it  was  easier  to  go  away  because  her  hus- 
band had  gone  before,  and  the  gates  were  left  open,  and  sweet 
voices  were  calling  her  to  come. ' 

"Once  more  the  quartette  sang,  this  time  Dudley  Buck's 
'Art  Thou  Weary? '  and  then  Dr.  Thomas  stepped  forward  to 
give  the  benediction,  as  follows  : 

"  <  I  must  first  in  the  name  of  the  family  thank  those  pres- 
ent here  for  their  presence,  and  the  public  for  their  tender  s}tu- 
pathy  in  this  their  sorrow. 

"  <  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying,  write,  for  these  words 
are  true  and  faithful,  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
their  eyes  ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow 
nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  raore  pain. 

'  • '  Forasmuch  as  this  spirit  has  returned  to  the  God  that  sent 
it,  the  body  will  be  committed, to  the  grave,  earth  to  earth,  dust 
to  dust,  ashes  to  ashes,  awaiting  the  final  resurrection,  and  may 
the  blessing  of  God  rest  among  you,  the  peace  that  passeth  un- 
derstanding abide  among  you,  and  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ 
keep  you  always.      Amen. ' 

' '  Then  from  the  organ  the  solemn  Guilmant's  '  Marche 
Funebre,'  with  the  Seraphic  Chant  by  Harrison  Wild. 

< '  The  casket  was  again  lifted  and  as  the  sad  procession  was 
formed  every  one  in  that  great  congregation  rose  as  by  one  im- 
pulse and  so  remained  until  the  whole  funeral  party  had  gone." 


CIIAI'TKI!     xvn 


'()  the  newspaper  fraternity  Emma  Abbott 
was  always  courteous  :  and.  whether  B 
poller,  special  writer  or  editor,  he  was  re 
ceived  with  the  atmosl  cordiality.  In  this 
reaped  Bhe  differed  greatly  from  her  hus- 
band, for  at  times  Mr.  Wetherell  was 
brusque  and  patronizing  in  his  treatment  of  reporters 
much  so  as  to  incur  their  displeasure,  and  they,  realizing  that 
their  opportunity  for  revenge  lay  in  scathing  criticism  of  ih<' 
next  performance^  were  sme  to  avail  themselves  thereof,  and 
Miss  Abbott  was  made  to  sutler  unkind  thrusts  which  Bhe  did 
not  in  the  least  deserve. 

Seeking  the  solution  of  this  problem,  she  was  not  Long  in 
discovering  it.  and  thereafter  took  the  more  pains  to  receive  all 
in  a  cordial  manner.  She  never  possessed  the  idea  of  some 
artists,  that  to  impress  the  public  with  a  sense  of  their  dignity, 
they  mu8l  "snub,"  or  refuse  to  Bee  visitors,  bul  often  sacri- 
deed  personal  comfort,  and  the  daily  resl  of  which  Bhe  Btood  in 
so  great  need,  to  entertain  callers.  Then,  too,  she  liked  Jour 
nalist-.  whether  men  or  women,  and  often  said,  "To  the  news 
paper-,  I  am  greatly  indebted.     As  a  rule  they  are  kind  to  me, 


140  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

and  have  been  from  the  start,  Eli  Perkins  and  Tom  Ochiltree 
being  the  noted  exceptions. 

' '  I  love  the  fraternity,  and  have  man}*  times  been  publicly 
honored  by  its  members. "  It  was  one  of  her  favorite  ideas  to 
invite  a  group  of  journalists  to  an  early  supper,  then  furnish 
them  with  tickets  for  the  evening. 

It  is  not  to  be  thought  that  Miss  Abbott  differed  from  other 
mortals  in  having  an  eye  on  the  treasury,  but  with  her  desire 
to  further  her  own  interests,  and  add  to  her  income,  there  was 
always  coupled  a  desire  to  help  others ;  to  bring  pleasure  to 
her  fellow  mortals,  and  there  are  scores  of  reporters,  dramatic 
critics,  etc. ,  in  the  United  States,  who  remember  a  pleasant  lit- 
tle gathering  of  the  clan  with  Mrs.  Wetherell,  as  hostess. 

It  is,  therefore,  not  surprising  that  when  she  died  the  hun- 
dreds who  were  accustomed  to  interview  the  prima  donna,  and 
who  looked  for  her  annual  coming  as  for  that  of  a  friend, 
should  experience  a  sense  of  personal  loss.  On  Tuesday,  Jan- 
uary 7th,  the  clay  following  that  of  her  death,  all  the  leading 
journals  contained  articles,  many  of  them  editorials,  expressing 
sorrow  at  her  death,  and  admiration  of  her  beautiful  life. 
These  articles,  or  at  least  most  of  them  voiced  the  heartfelt 
sentiments  of  personal  friends. 

The  dailies  of  her  native  city,  Chicago,  did  her  especial 
honor,  and  excerpts  from  their  editorials  and  special  articles,  as 
well  as  from  newspapers  in  various  localities,  will  follow. 
These  are  given  because  they  are  exponents  of  the  hearts  of 
the  people  of  the  entire  country,  and  confirm  the  opinion  of  the 
author  that  either  outside  or  in  the  dramatic  or  other  profession 
there  are  few  women  possessed  of  hearts  as  unselfish  and  pure, 
principles  as  staunch,  and  lives  as  nearly  moulded  to  the  golden 
rule  as  was  that  of  Emma  Abbott  Wetherell. 

William  Penn  Nixon  was  one  of  her  warmest  friends,  and  in 
his  paper,  the  Liter-  Ocean,  she  found  an  able  advocate.  In  an 
editorial  of  January,  Mr.  Nixon  writes  : 

"A  great  favorite  of  the  people,  one  of  the  most  highly  es- 
teemed and  generally  admired  women  of  the  stage,  Emma  Ab- 


TribuU   from    William   J'  ■      \  Ml 

bott.  died  in  Salt  Lake  City  yesterday  morning  of  pnenmbi 
But  eighteen  months  ago  her  husband,  Eugene  Wetherell,  died 
in  Denver  of  the  same  dread  disease,  and  if  death  can  assume 
any  grateful  shape  to  sunny  womanhood  in  the  prime  of  years, 
it  may  have  been  some  consolation  to  the  yet  sorrowing  widow 
that  she  passed  from  life  as  did  the  beloved  husband  The 
tender  affection  and  sweet  devotion  with  which  these  two  pri- 
sons brought  happiness  into  their  mutual  life  were  matters 
not  infrequent  approving  comment  among  their  professional 
friends,  and  gave  to  the  stage  one  of  its  beautiful  example  s 
marital  love  and  constancy.  In  this  light,  it'  for  U0  other  pea- 
son,  Emma  Abbott  deserves  the  regretful  tears  and  long  remem- 
brance of  her  countrywomen.  She  was  a  moral  benefactor  of  the 
stage,  and  as  such,  rather  than  as  the  singer  whom  the  common  peo- 
ple loved  to  hear,  will  she  be  honored  wherever  there  are  loyal 
service  and  earnest  prayers  for  the  establishment  of  the  theater 
upon  a  noble  plane  of  art  and  ethics. 

••To  have  passed  from  youth  to  mature  womanhood  in  the 
glare  of  the  footlights,  through  the  feverish  atmosphere  of  an  art 
at  once  the  highest  and  the  most  dangerous  to  its  votaries,  without 
having  once  incurred  the  suspicion  of  vice  or  felt  the  reproach 
of  virtue,  is  to  have  achieved  more  than  tame  in  the  great  tour- 
ney of  life.  Holy  the  tears  an  aged  mother  will  lei  fall  upon 
the  still  face  of  such  a  daughter. 

••  Emma  Abbott  had  physical  courage  as  well  as  moral  i»iav 
ery.  She  was  a  woman  of  singularly  Indomitable  personal 
force,  possessing  in  an  eminent  degree  that  quality  termed 
pluck,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  the  sad  event  of  her  death  is  in 
some  measure  attributable  to  this  mental  and  spiritual  energy 
which  forced  her  lather  to  sutler  than  disappoint  the  expects 
tions  of  her  friendly  public.  When  she  Bhould  have  Keen  con 
lined  to  her  room  under  the  close  care  of  physicians,  ahe  in 
,1  upon  being  carried  to  the  theater  and  there  in  the  stirring 
role  of  Ernani  sung  hier  death  song  Trulj  a  heart-sorrowing 
spectacle  to  look  back  upon;  but  the  skeptical  public  is  over 
uncharitable  when  the  theater  is  closed  because  an  actor  is 


142  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

Somehow  we  come  to  regard  these  entertainers  as  bond  servants 
to  our  will,  creatures  not  susceptible  as  ourselves  to  the  thous- 
and natural  shocks  that  flesh  is  heir  to,  aud  we  will  not  allow 
to  them  the  indulgence  we  permit  ourselves  when  heart  and  brain 
and  blood  refuse  their  accustomed  healthful  functions.  We 
bid  them  act  even  when  the  wings  of  the  hovering  angel  cast 
shadows  upon  them,  and  command  them  laugh  when  heartrache 
sends  rivers  of  salt  through  their  quivering  veins.  The  public 
must  not  be  disappointed — strange  monster  public,  that  peni- 
tently mourns  to-day  what  yesterday  it  was  ready  to  deride. 

"Some   who   are   disposed  to  determine  all  values  from  a 
purely  critical  standard  marveled  at  the  undiminished  popu- 
larity of  Emma  Abbott,  who  sang  to  vast  audiences  when  more 
eminent  artistes  had  greatly  disproportionate  success.     Perhaps 
there  are  two  explanations  of  this  not  very  surprising   fact. 
Emma  Abbott  was  always  to  be  depended  upon  to  do  her  best, 
whatever  the  conditions  around  her.      She  sang  with  her  heart 
in  her  work ;    she  was  honest  to  herself  as  well  as  to  her  man- 
ager, her  company,  and  her  public.      The   announcement  that 
she  would  sing  meant  that  she  would  sing,  and  in  her  entire 
career  she  never  turned  away  an  audience.     With  her  the  pro- 
fession of  the  singer  was  not  a  means  to  an  end,  it  was  the  end 
itself,  and  no  one  was  ever  more  in  earnest  than  she,  more  zeal- 
ous to  do  well,  more  indefatigable  in  the  attempt  to  do  well. 
A  second  cause  of  her  success  was  the  thorough,  intense  spirit 
of   Americanism  that  animated  and  sustained  her.      She  was 
loyally  democratic,  and  responded  to  the  people  as  they  re- 
sponded  to   her.      She  could  never  do  too  much  for  her  audi- 
ences.     Their  wishes  were  her  desires,  and  she  threw  as  much 
ardor  into  an  encore  as  into  the  original  aria,  never  demurring, 
never  evincing  the  slightest  disinclination  to  comply  with  de- 
mands sometimes  more  selfish  than  complimentary.      These  two 
varieties  of   self-devotion  made  Emma  Abbott  an  unique  and 
deeply  interesting  personality  amid  the  prevalent   artificiality 
and   insincerity   of    the  stage,  and  they  won  the  love  of  the 
people,  a  love  that  survived  all  the  coming  and  going  of   new 


A  Thorough-going   B  R  143 

attractions  and  temporary  Favorites,  and  will  stir  in  thousands 
of  hearts  to-day  a  sorrow  as  melting  and  as  tender  a-  though  :i 
personal  and  near  friend  had  passed  beyond  the  curtain  of  our 
dreams.  There  is  an  inspiration  in  tin-  biography  of  this 
woman  that  will  not  be  lost.  l>ut  will  urge  to  Buccess  other 
brave  hearts  in  which  duty  will  keep  pace  with  ambition 

The  Chicago  Tribune  of  same  date,  Bays     "  No  other  woman 
of  her  profession  has  at  death  been  mourned  bj  bo  many  I  • 
as  is  Emma  Abbott  to-day.      Ber  younger  days  were  thosi 
struggle, to  obtain  the  cultivation  accessary  to  phut-  her  1" 
the  public,  her  later  years  have  been  full  of  unremitting  toil 
and  research,  and  her  labors  have  been  crowned  by  the  lov< 
the  American  people. 

"  She  was  married  to  Eugene  Wetherell,  a  New  fork  drug- 
gist, in  1874.  When  she  returned  to  America  he  managed 
her  first  concerts  in  1878,  and  a  year  later  became  associated 
with  Charles  H.  Pratt  in  the  Emma  Abbott  English  Opera 
Company,  an  organization  which  from  that  time  up  to  the  pres 
ent,  has  enjoyed  a  singular  operatic  career  of  unalloyed  proa 
perity.  Miss  Abbott  wa<  now  it-  firmesl  figure,  and  no  singer 
could  claim  so  strong  a  personal  following  of  real  friends. 
Both  she  and  her  husband  were  good  managers  and  tremendous 
workers,  and  by  judicious  investment-  had  accumulated  a  for 
tune  that  was  estimated  at  11,000,000;  but  withal  were  most 
charitable  and  liberal.  Miss  Abbotl  always  selected  her  own 
assistants,  tried  their  voices,  and  assigned  to  them  their  parts. 
Her  company  was  run  on  business  principles.  Liberal  Balaries 
were  given  and  prompt  payment  was  the  rule.  Hem.'  Bhe  was 
always  able  to  secure  the  besl  talent  in  her  line.     One  of  ber 

purposes  was  strong  insrtnbh  work,  and  her  opera-  were  al 
ways    finely    costumed    and    well    staged       MiSS  Abbotl  h( 

was  the  finesl  dresser  on  the  stage 

"Asa  worker  she  was  absolutely  tireless  .  and  everj  detail  of 
a  production    was   given  her  personal  inspection  and  Banction 
It  has  oftimes  been  a  mystery  to  those  associated  with  this  en 
ergetic  woman    how  she  b1 1  the  nervous   strain   consequent 


14:4  Life  of  Emma  Abbott, 

upon  the  tasks  witn  which  she  insisted  upon  loading  herself. 
It  is  a  singular  coincidence  that  her  husband,  Eugene  Wether- 
ell,  should  have  been  carried  away  by  the  same  disease  that 
robbed  the  prima  donna  of  her  life.  He  was  suddenly  attacked 
with  pneumonia  two  years  ago  to-day,  and  died  in  Denver.  He 
had  done  much — in  fact,  everything — to  push  his  wife  to  the 
top  notch  of  her  ambition.  His  world  was  Emma  Abbott,  the 
artist,  and  he  never  wearied  of  advancing  her  personal  as  well 
as  her  professional  welfare.  He  invested  the  money  that  she 
earned  with  great  shrewdness,  and  his  investments  prospered  so 
well  that  she  was  recognized  even  at  the  time  of  her  husband's 
death  as  the  richest  woman  on  the  stage  in  this  country.  To 
her  husband  she  was  devoutly  attached,  and  she  had  never  fully 
recovered  from  his  loss. 

' <  A  Chicago  friend  said  of  her  yesterday  :  '  She  had  a  kind  ■ 
and  lovable  character.  One  of  the  greatest  of  her  virtues,  was  her 
modesty.  She  was  ready  to  offer  succor  where  it  was  needed,  but 
was  strongly  averse  to  letting  the  public  know  her  charities.  And 
because  her  charities  were  so  quietly  and  unassumingly  bestowed, 
she  acquired  the  name  of  being  so  selfish.  But  I  happen  to  know 
that  such  criticisms  were  unjust,  and  that  she  did  acts  of  gener- 
ous benevolence  of  which  no  one  ever  heard,  except  a  few  of 
ber  trusted  friends. '  The  last  article  that  appeared  about  Miss 
Abbott  in  these  columns,  was  the  refutation  of  a  cruel  slander 
of  an  afternoon  paper  accusing  her  of  filial  ingratitude. 

'  <  Everyone  will  concede  that  the  dead  prima  donna  did  much 
for  musical  art  and  education  in  the  United  States.  She  dedi- 
cated more  temples  of  song  than  any  other  woman  ;  her  com- 
panies were  always  formed  with  care,  and  they  were  generally 
well  balanced  and  strong  in  good  material.  She  strove  to  get 
good  ensembles  rather  than  perfection  in  any  one  individual. 
Hence  her  performances  were  always  symmetrical,  and  worthy 
to  be  ranked  above  the  average.  She  gave  the  masses  of  the 
people  all  over  the  great  West  an  insight  into  operatic  works 
that  but  for  her  would  have  remained  a  sealed  book  to  them. 


Abbotl  in  Ruy  Bias. 


Vindicated  by  a  Friend.  145 

She  taught  them  to  love  music  and  to  give  their  material  aid  to 
art.      She  sang  for  the  masses  of  the  people  in  her  way. 

•'She  served  them  well,  and  awakened  a  new  art  Impulse. 
She  had  high  aims,  and  whatever  she  did,  she  did  with  her 
might;  a  typical  woman  of  the  West  Her  sterling  qua 
of  head  and  heart  have  triumphed  over  many  adversities  ;  en- 
deared her  to  many.  Emma  Abbott  will  have  many  mourners 
in  every  town  of  consequence  all  over  these  United  Stat 

Col.  J.  X.  Taylor,  of  Chicago,  knew  Mis^  Abbott  from  her 
babyhood  to  the  year  of  her  death,  and  who  was  a  Conner  busi- 
ness  partner  of  her  father,  Seth  Abbott,  indignanl  at  the 
stories  told  of  Emma's  "shabby  attire,"  her  "one  dress,  made 
of  a  coffee  sack," etc. ,  volunteered  the  following  out  of  a  spirit 
of  justice  to  the  dead,  and  esteem  for  the  living. 

"The  poet  is  born,  not  made — and  this  axiom  may  apply  to 
genius  and  talent  in  other  realms  than  that  of  poetry.  The 
ideal  pervades  every  department  of  nature  and  ait.  Thus  na- 
ture, art.  poetry  are  a  harmonious  trinity,  distinctive  bul  insep- 
arable. Whenever  a  great  soul  is  manifested  a  great  genius  is 
disclosed,  or  a  great  artist  entrances  the  world,  the  busy  search- 
ers after  primary  conditions  turn  their  telescopic  imaginations 
at  once  to  the  place  of  his  birth  and  seek  to  show  that  great- 
ness was  born  amidst  clouds  and  darkness,  developed  in  con- 
flicts with  tribulation  and  strengthened  by  adversity.  This  lias 
been  true  in  all  times  from  Homer  to  Christ,  from  Christ  to  |;.  , 
Franklin,  and  from  Franklin  to  this  anno  domini.  1  do  not  de- 
sire to  satirize  this  exploring  curiosity  of  the  seekers  after  mira- 
cles ;  for  their  investigations  often  do  disclose  some  very  interest 
ing  situations  and  yield  rich  material  for  the  pen  and  easel. 

"But  I  do  desire  that  the  busy  explorers  into  the  mistj  re- 
gions of  primary  condition  -hall  avoid  such  methods  a-  will 
lead  the  great  public  to  consider  them  as  verj  industrious  Eli 
Perkinses  and  Tom  Ochiltrees.  Look  at  the  stories  recently 
published  about  the  eminent  and  popularly  Loved  n>>\\  deeply 
mourned— songstress,  Emma   Abbott     I  was  acquainted  with 

her   from    her  eighth  year  until   her  death.       I   have  met   her  Ire 


146  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

quently  since  she  became  the  queen  of  the  English  opera  stage. 
I  knew  her  circumstances  personally  and  well.  I  was  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  her  father  and  members  of  her  family, 
and  her  father  was,  between  the  years  1858  and  1866,  associ- 
ated with  me  in  business,  he  being  a  successful,  persevering  in- 
surance agent  every  day  that  he  could  spare  from  his  engage- 
ments in  music.  Among  the  false  and  fairy  tales  told  of 
Emma  Abbott  are  those  about  her  going  barefoot  and  in  shabbj" 
clothing.  I  saw  her  very  often  as  a  little  girl  among  other 
school  children,  but  I  never  saw  her  without  good  shoes,  and 
she  was  always  as  properly  dressed  as  the  other  girls  attending 
the  public  schools.  Her  natural  good  taste  led  her  to  be  more 
careful  and  neat  in  the  arrangement  of  her  dress  than  the  aver- 
age of  her  3"Oung  schoolmates. 

' '  The  story  of  her  walking  to  a  neighboring  town  and  giving 
'  an  Abbott  concert  all  by  herself '  is  wholly  untrue.  It  was 
given  in  the  office  where  her  father  was  employed,  where  she 
had  called  to  accompany  him  home  on  Saturda}-  afternoon,  and 
her  listeners  were  the  United  States  assessors,  collectors,  their 
assistants  and  the  occupants  of  other  offices  in  the  same  build- 
ing.        *         *         * 

"In  duty  and  justice  to  the  memory  of  the  dear  and  la- 
mented one,  who  has  been  so  early  called  to  join  the  chorus  of 
the  angels,  and  to  the  bereaved  and  stricken  family,  I  crush  the 
false  images  that  have  been  set  up  to  gratify  a  morbid  craving 
for  fictitious  romance,  and  thus  regulate  these  fabulous  tales  to 
the  companionship  of  the  little  hatchet  of  the  Washington 
family,  and  the  big  whale  that  had  possession  of  Jonah. 
With  the  fact  of  her  filial  affection  both  in  childhood  and  her 
maturer  life,  though  it  has  been  falsely  aspersed,  the  public  is 
now  familiar,  and  her  pure  life  will  become  the  model  to  which  we 
may  point  the  young  daughters  of  present  and  future  times. " 

Minneapolis  was  one  of  the  cities  in  which  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wetherell  felt  an  especial  interest.  This  is  partly  attributable 
to  the  fact  that  they  had  real  estate  holdings  here ;  but  with 
Mrs.  Wetherell,  there  were  other  attractions.     Here  the  father 


Mmneapolu  Loved  and  Hi    i    s   /.'  147 

she  loved  so  dearly  had  for  a  Dumber  of  years  made  his  borne, 
and  having  platted  one  of  the  most  beautiful  tracts  of  land 
near  the  city  had  dedicated  it  t<>  her,  calling  it  Emma  Abbott 
Park.  This  he  intended  to  make  a  charming  resort  to  which 
when  weary  from  toil,  the  laborer  might  without  other  ex] 
than  that  of  transportation  repair  with  his  family,  and  spend  a 
day.  amid  bird-song,  bloom,  and  verdure.  Financial  rev< 
Came  and  this  tract  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  prima  donna 
herself,  and  had  she  lived  another  season,  the  work  of  beauti 
fying  the  grounds  and  carrying  out  her  father's  plans  would 
have  been  commenced. 

In  Minneapolis,  too.  she  was  always  cordially  received,  and 
man}'  a  beautiful  tribute  of  love  and  appreciation  has  been 
passed  over  the  footlights.  The  press  of  the  city  stood  by  her. 
too,  and  with  most  of  the  members  of  the  journalistic  corps  she 
was  personally  acquainted  and  called  each  by  name.  When  she 
lay  on  a  bed  of  suffering  in  Salt  Lake  City  more  than  one  mes- 
sage of  sympathy  and  love  was  sent  her  from  Minneapolis,  and 
at  her  death  the  papers  all  gave  their  sorrow  most  fervent  ex- 
pression.     The  Morning  Tribune  of  .January  7  Bays 

"Throughout  the  Union  the  news  of  Emma  Abbott's  un- 
timely demise  will  be  received  with  sincere  mourning.  Fe* 
personages  in  public  life  have  so  endeared  themselves  to  the 
people  as  has  this  gifted,  painstaking  songstress,  who  has  been 
so  suddenh-  summoned  hence  by  death.  In  Minneapolis,  the 
home  of  her  aged  father,  she  was  an  especial  favorite,  both  so- 
cially and  in  her  artistic  capacity.  Since  her  earliesl  girlhood 
the  operatic  stage  has  been  her  home,  and  her  sweet  voice  has 
charmed  the  lovers  of  music  in  every  city  of  importance  in  the 
country.  She  was  American  born,  her  grandest  triumphs  have 
been  upon  the  American  stage,  and  all  America  loved,  honored 
and  admired  her.  Her  career  from  the  conceit  stage  to  the 
very  summit  of  operatic  fa has  been  one  of  bonesl  endeavor, 

self  reliance,  industry  and   ambition  to  excel.       She  was  a  BWeet, 
womanly  woman  withal,   adored  ly    her   sex    as   one    ot'    its    no 

blesl    representatives      universally    respected  not   onlj  for  her 


148  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

fame  and  talent,  but  for  the  purity  of  her  character.  Begin- 
ning her  career  in  poverty  and  obscurity,  but  with  pluck,  prin- 
ciple, ambition  and  an  abiding  faith  in  her  genius,  she  had  just 
reached  the  full  fruition  of  her  fondest  hopes  when  she  was  cut 
down  by  death.  Hers  has  been  a  remarkable  career  and  one 
full  of  valuable  lessons  to  young  women  who  are  thrown  upon 
the  world  to  battle  for  themselves. " 

Mr.  C.  H.  Du  Bois,  of  Minneapolis,  wrote  :  ' '  The  death 
of  Emma  Abbott,  announced  in  the  noon  edition  of  to-day's 
Evening  Tribune,  sent  a  pang  of  regret  throughout  this  com- 
munity, where  the  brave  and  honest  little  prima  donna  was  so 
well  known  and  so  universally  loved  and  admired.  She  has 
been  taken  away  in  the  very  prime  of  her  artistic  power,  and  at 
the  summit  of  her  artistic  career. 

< '  The  life  of  Emma  Abbott  affords  a  lesson  of  encourage- 
ment to  good  girls  everywhere,  who  happen  to  be  thrown  upon 
their  own  resources.  It  may  be  said  that  she  made  her  own 
way  in  life  without  any  other  aid  than  what  her  own  talents, 
energy  and  purity  of  character  commanded.  In  her  girlhood  a 
concert  singer,  inevitably  surrounded  by  all  sorts  of  tempta- 
tions, she  always  preserved  her  innocence  and  cheerfulness,  and 
steadily  pursued  the  upward  path  which  ultimately  led  to  fame  and 
fortune.  That  a  girl  so  thrown  upon  the  world  and  destitute 
of  means,  should  have  finally  become  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  attractive  of  opera  singers ;  that  she  should  have  devel- 
oped and  strengthened  her  character  into  a  noble  womanhood, 
and  acquired  the  manners  and  accomplishments  of  a  lady  of 
fashion,  these  facts  are  calculated  to  encourage  the  most  lowly 
and  unfortunate  of  her  sex  to  the  highest-  aims.  It  is  true 
that  Miss  Abbott  was  possessed  of  unusual  natural  gifts  ;  but 
these  would  have  been  lost  or  destroyed  had  it  not  been  for  the 
honesty  of  purpose,  the  purity  of  motive,  and  the  industry 
which  characterized  every  step  of  her  career.  Any  girl  with 
moderate  gifts  may  make  a  place  for  herself  in  the  great  world 
— not  perhaps  so  high,  but  still  respectable  and  happy — if  she 
will  imitate  the  virtues  of  Emma  Abbott. 


Abboti  .1    Arline,  in  Bohemian  <  Hrl. 


She  Never  Appealed  in   Vain.  1  }'.' 

"We  do  not  know  of  a  public  character  whose  death  \sill 
cause  more  genuine  sorrow  in  so  many  homes  as  that  of  Emma 
Abbott.  She  was  regarded  by  the  public  not  onlj  as  a  pleasing 
artiste,  but  as  the  lovely  woman  who-,'  wry  presence  exhaled 
sweetness  and  whose  life  exalted  her  Bex  Greater  Bingers, 
more  powerful  and  accomplished  artistes,  uv  have,  and  shall 
have,  but  never  a  character  more  honorable  and  lovable 

A  special  article  in  another  number  of  the  Tributu  Bays 
"Emma  Abbott's  earliest  successes  were  achieved  as  a  concert 
singer  in  the  West.  She  was  one  of  Chicago's  discoveries 
Twenty-four  years  ago  she  was  first  heard  in  this  city  on  the  COD 
cert  stage,  it  being  twelve  years  later  that  she  first  appeared  in 
opera,  upon  which  occasion.  January  6,  1879,  she  essayed  the 
title-role  in  Mignon  at  Hooley'a  Theater.  In  the  sixties  Bhe 
concertized  largely  in  the  West,  and  had  considerable  local  rep 
ntation;  but  it  was  not  until  her  engagement  as  soprano  of  Dr. 
Chapin's  church  in  Brooklyn,  and  her  conscientious  work  there 
secured  patrons  for  her  who  sent  her  to  Europe  to  be  educated. 
that  her  fame  broadened  and  her  name  became  well  known  to 
the  operatic  world.  She  was  engaged  upon  the  operatic  si 
about  twelve  years,  and  during  thai  time  essayed  all  kinds  of 
roles,  heavy  and  light,  in  English,  French,  German  and  Italian 
opera,  though  the  style  of  her  action  and  the  capacity  of  her 
voice  fitted  her  best  for  the  light  roles. 

"She  was  indomitable  in  effort,  bonesl  in  doing  everything 
to  the  best  of  her  ability,  industrious  to  an  astonishing  degree, 
fair  with  her  audiences,  and  stainless  in  her  character.  These 
qualities  commended  her  to  the  people,  and  it  was  to  the  peo 
pie  rather  than  to  fashion  or  to  strictly  musical  audiences  thai 
she  appealed.  She  never  appealed  in  vain.  When  all  other 
companies  were  doing  poorly  it  was  certain  that  the  Emma    Lb 

bolt  company  was  in  clover.  Much  of  this  BUCCesS  WOS  due 
also   to   excellent     business    1 1 1 : 1 1 k i - . •  1 1 1 < •  i j  1 .    for    the   little    prima 

donna  had  a  good  head  for  business  details.  Her  late  husband, 
.Mr.  Wetherell,  was  also  a  good  manager  and  between  them 
they  made  a  success      She  was  a  lad}  of  sterling  qualities   of 


150  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

character,  was  devoted  ardently  and  enthusiastically  to  her  pro- 
fession, and  believed  in  herself  whatever  the  critics  might  say. 
It  is  needless  to  say  also  that  the  people  believed  in  her.  She 
rose  in  her  profession  by  undaunted  pluck  and  unflagging  in- 
dustry.     She  had  the  genius  of  work." 

The  (Arkansas)  Little  Rock  Gazette,  says  editorially  : 

' '  The  death  of  Emma  Abbott  creates  a  loss  to  the  operatic 
world  it  will  be  difficult  to  fill.  The  early  life  of  the  singer 
was  passed  in  comparative  obscurity.  She  believed  that  she 
could  sing  and  that  a  glorious  career  awaited  her  ;  but  she 
could  only  hope  and  wait,  until  a  syndicate  of  New  York 
friends  furnished  the  means  that  sent  her  to  Europe.  The  in- 
struction there  received  fitted  her  for  the  stage. 

' '  She  returned  to  this  country  and  the  world  knows  her  subse- 
quent history.  It  is  a  most  striking  illustration  of  what  abil- 
ity, energy,  pluck,  and  well-directed  ambition  can  accomplish. 
For  thirteen  years  hers  has  been  the  bestrknown  and  most  suc- 
cessful of  American  opera  companies.  She  contended  against 
professional  rivals  who  spoke  her  name  only  with  sneers,  and 
for  years  she  received  more  blows  than  caresses  from  the  critics, 
who  declared  she  could  not  sing,  while  others  on  whom  their 
praises  were  showered,  rose,  strutted  their  brief  hour  on  the 
stage,  and  disappeared  from  view. 

' '  Emma  Abbott  was  the  people's  prima  donna.  She  sang 
to  and  for  the  masses.  She  came  up  from  the  people,  the  poor, 
humble  but  honest  of  earth.  Her  broad,  generous  sympathies 
were  with  them,  and  she  never  forgot  the  dark  days,  when  to 
her  a  plain,  simple  fare  and  a  humble  home  were  luxuries. 

' '  She  could  well  defy  the  critics,  who  abused  her  because  it 
was  the  fashion,  for  she  was  the  singer  of  the  millions  who 
never  grew  weary  in  applauding  '  Honest  Little  Emma, '  in 
whose  conscientious  efforts  to  please  and  succeed  they  recog- 
nized the  progress  of  an  American  woman,  who  appealed  to 
them  as  a  sister  and  friend. 

< '  Beyond  all  this,  and  it  exerted  a  marked  influence  on  her 
career,  she  was  good  and  pure.      The   vile   breath   of    slander 


'Honor  Cam*    Becau8<    SJu    Earned  It.  l."-l 

never  touched  her  name.  The  doors  of  the  most  exclusive 
ciety  were  open  to  her.  but  her  devotion  to  her  art  and  to  the 
husband  she  had  wedded  years  before  the  world  had  heard  her 
oame,  and  who  preceded  her  to  the  grave  only  two  years  ago, 
left  little  time  for  the  pleasures  of  social  life.  She  had  deter- 
mined to  win  fame  and  fortune,  and  both  came  to  her  because 
she  deserved  them." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


^O^J-F  all  the  words  of  praise  of  Emma  Abbott  and 
|  regret  for  her  loss,  uttered  by  her  intimate 
1  friends  were  given,  they  would  alone  make  sev- 
I  eral  chapters,  but  that  being  impracticable,  a 
I  few  tributes  of  love  from  those  she  claimed  as 
her  ' '  coterie  of  dear  friends,  who  always  find 
something  good  to  say  of  me  and  generally  forgive  my  short- 
comings, "  are  given. 

Mr.  W.  S.  B.  Matthews,  a  prominent  journalist,  writes : 
< '  Personally  she  was  always  cordial.  Even  when  she  had  been 
hardly  treated,  and  had  had  her  little  cry  in  private,  she 
rarely  or  never  allowed  the  slightest  sign  of  the  fact  to  appear 
when  next  she  met  the  writer,  who  thoughtlessly,  or  even  mali- 
ciously, had  wounded  her  sensibility.  Her  attitude  was  studi- 
ously humble,  and  I  suppose  she  always  considered  every  criti- 
cism as  the  expression  of  the  critic's  conscientious  conviction, 
and  if  it  seemed  to  possess  sense,  carefully  considered  it  and 
adopted  whatever  struck  her  as  having  force.  Her  manner  was 
cordial,  and  her  self-reliance  unbounded.  No  amount  of  work 
or  service  was  too  much,  if  needful  to  carry  a  point.  She 
never  forgot  a  friend,  and  gave  away  vast  sums  of  money.      I 


Abbott  in  "Queen  Anne"  Riding  Habit. 


Words  of  Lovi    From   Personal  Friends.        153 

never  saw  in  her  the  slightest  self-consciousness   due   i"   her" 
phenomenal  success. 

"Were  I  to  sum  up  all  the  defects  thai  sixteen  years'  inti- 
mate acquaintance  has  brought  to  light.  1  would  Bay  thai  there 
was  no  one  attributable  to  any  inure  unamiable  motive  than  an 
overweening  devotion  to  hard  work,  in  the  line  of  what  Bhe  re 
garded  her  career.  She  was  a  true  woman  whom  to  know 
slightly  was  to  respect,  to  know  well  was  to  love.  May  she  find 
the  blessed  immortality  in  hope  of  which  herspiril  took  its  flight 

Mrs.  S.  C.  Hazlett,  of  Cincinnati,  says  in  a  letter  to  a  friend  : 
"We  often  talked  together  hand  in  hand,  <>r  arm  in  arm.  BOme 
times  with  quivering  lips,  and  tear-tilled  eyes.  Still  she  «:i- 
full  of  hope,  and  earnestness  in  her  ambition  to  rise  in  her  pro- 
fession. She  talked  to  me  of  her  inner  life,  told  me  how  anx- 
ious she  was  to  be  first  in  character,  pure  and  upright,  as  to  he 
the  world's  best  singer.  I  always   remembered   the 

woman,  and  loved  the  songs  with  her.  Her  voice  was  purer 
and  sweeter  when  last  I  heard  her  than  ever  before.  I  consid- 
ered her  at  her  best  in  Norma.  What  a  dear,  winning  woman 
she  was. " 

One  who  was  for  years  a  devoted  personal  friend  of  Miss 
Abbott  closes  an  article  to  the  Minneapolis  Sunday  Tribum  as 
follows  : 

■•  Now  she  is  gone,  and  while  to  the  aged  father  and  mother 
whom  she  idolized,  and  for  whom  she  so  generously  provided, 
life  will  be  dreary  indeed,  to  the  hosts  of  Loving  friends  and 
admirers  the  world  over,  it  were  a  sadder  Bighl  to  have  Been 
her  grow  old  and  to  watch  the  failing  of  her  wonderful  talent. 
She  was  taken  in  the  zenith  of  her  career,  while  capable  <>t 
thrilling  hearts  and  souls  with  her  beautiful  Bongs. 

"The  critics  have  said.  •  Emma  Abbott  is  qoI  a  greal  singer, 
as  there  are  roles  she  cannot   interpret,  and  heights  to  which 

she  might  not  hope  to  attain.  Bu1  she  was  a  singer  of  the 
people.       If   the  critics  condemned  the  interpretation  of  ■  Nearei 

My  God   to  Thee,'   into  I, a  Sonambula,   the    'Lullaby  Song 

into   Mikado,   and   the    '  Lasl    Rose   of    Summer     into   Crispino 


154  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

the  people  did  not ;  and  it  was  to  the  hearts  and  tastes  of  the 
people  she  appealed,  for,  said  she,  '  The  people  pay  their  ad- 
mission fee  and  thus  make  my  future  ;  the  critics  dead-head 
their  entrance,  and  try  to  rob  me  of  what  the  people  give. ' 

'  'And  she  was  great,  for  she  had  a  grand  nature  ;  full  of 
charity  for  the  erring,  praise  for  the  good  ;  a  generous  heart 
that  prompted  her  to  give  liberally  to  those  less  favored  than 
herself.  During  an  acquaintance,  and  intimate  friendship  of 
years,  I  discerned  many  beauties  of  character,  to  which  those 
who  knew  her  only  casually  are  strangers,  and  while  among 
my  keepsakes  I  treasure  numerous  souvenirs,  tokens  of  her 
love  and  friendship,  I  prize  most  the  memory  of  her  pure 
heart,  her  words  of  love  and  sympathy  in  sorrow,  and  her  loyal, 
womanly  example.  Her  last  words,  '  I  am  not  afraid  to  die, ' 
bore  witness  to  her  guileless  life,  and  her  endeavor  at  all  times  to 
follow  in  the  footsteps  of  the  blessed  Master. " 

Col.  J.  W.  McKenzie,  of  Kentucky,  a  member  of  the  World's 
Fair  Commission,  was  one  of  a  group  of  men  who  in  a  parlor 
at  the  Palmer  house,  Chicago,  were  discussing  the  Abbott  will. 
There  were  some  in  the  company  who  censured  Miss  Abbott  be- 
cause she  left  money  to  the  churches,  and  none  to  the  theatri- 
cal profession.  After  others  had  expressed  their  opinions  Col. 
McKenzie  expressed  himself  as  follows  : 

' '  The  last  testament  of  this  distinguished  songstress  has 
been  published  to  the  world.  Out  of  a  magnificent  fortune,  ap- 
proaching nearly  a  million  of  dollars,  she  has  provided  munifi- 
cently for  the  kindred  of  herself  and  her  husband.  She  has  be- 
queathed to  eleven  churches  of  different  faiths  $5,000  each,  for 
the  reason,  as  she  sa}-s  :  '  I  have  attended  them  from  time  to 
time,  and  have  particularly  enjoyed  the  service. '  She  gives  in 
equal  amount,  a  large  sum  to  a  number  of  the  most  tender  and 
beautiful  charities,  including  the  poor  foundling,  the  helpless 
mother  deprived  of  sunlight  in  the  garret,  the  newsboy  of  the 
lodging  house,  the  children  of  the  slums,  the  aged  and  infirm, 
and  every  form  of  human  misery  to  which  a  crust  of  bread  is 
a  benediction. 


Slu   Loved    The    Truth.  155 

"She    stretched    out   her    hand    lovingly    wherever    (amine 
stalked  and  pestilence  spread  its  wings.      Her  charity   was 
boundless  as  the  air;  it  embraced  every  spot  from  which  came 
a  cry  for  help. 

'•Her  mind  was  too  broad  to  be  fettered  by  the  casuistr]  of 
creeds.  She  loved  alike  the  Protestant  and  the  Catholic,  the 
Jew  and  the  Gentile,  the  devotee  ami  the  agnostic.  But  she 
loved  truth  more  than  all,  'truth  that  like  the  indotata  >•;,■■/■  of 
the  Romans,  that  modest,  dowerless  virgin,  going  forth  to  meet 
the  bridegroom,  most  beautiful  in  that  slu-  was  devoid  of  mere- 
tricious ornament,  and  lovliest  in  that  she  had  nothing  bn1  her- 
self to  give.' 

"Surpliced  clergymen  may  inveigh  against  the  stage,  but 
Emma  Abbott's  toilsome,  guileless,  gentle  life  is  a  sufficient 
answer  to  all  the  charges  that  ever  emanated  from  cassock  or 
sacredotal  stole. 

"Some  years  ago  in  the  city  of  Nashville,  Tennessee.  Emma 
Abbott,  with  her  company  was  playing  in  that  city  of  churches. 
On  Sunday,  during  her  stay,  thirsting  for  the  comforts  which 
her  spiritual  nature  demanded,  she  attended  one  of  the 
churches,  the  name  of  whose  clergyman,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  say, 
is  not  now  remembered,  who,  knowing  her  presence,  spoke  in 
such  terms  of  reproach  of  the  calling  of  the  great  actress  as  to 
cause  her  with  bowed  head,  to  arise  and  leave  the  building. 
Where  could  she  go?  What  refuge  was  there  Cora  white  soul 
like  hers  if  a  sanctuary  erected  to  Grod  did  not  afford  it?  It  is 
to  be  sincerely  hoped  that  the  minister  thus  publicly  insulting 
may.  when  he  has  paid  the  debt  she  has  paid,  leave  behind 
him  a  will  that  may  be  read  in  comparison  with  hers,  in  order 
that  a  discriminating  world  may  determine  which  contains  most 
of  the  true  spirit  of  the  Savior  of  mankind. 

"Her  virtues  would  require  volumes  for  enumeration.      Ber 

art  was  her  shrine,  at  which  she  worshiped  with  Oriental  devo- 
tion. She  laid  her  ear  on  the  breasl  of  nature  and  caught  all 
the  harmonies  of  humanity.  The  fabled  song  of  the  dying 
Bwan  found  exemplification  in  her.      Living  she  delighted  mill 


156  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

ions  with  the  magic  of  her  tuneful  voice ;  and  her  will,  which 
is  an  echo  after  death,  is  sweeter  far  than  all. 

' '  Heinrich  Heine,  the  most  melodious  of  all  the  German 
poets,  and  the  one  who  made  nature  his  exclusive  model,  asked 
that  there  might  be  graven  upon  his  tomb  this  sentence  :  '  He 
loved  the  flower  of  the  Brenta. '  The  friends  of  Emma  Abbott 
might  ask  that  there  might  be  engraved  upon  her  tomb  the  sen- 
timent :  '  She  loved  humanity  and  the  world  was  thrall  to  her 
song. ' 

' '  Skilled  in  the  highest  domain  of  her  art,  she  sang  the 
songs  of  the  people,  and  with  no  more  pretention  than  the 
thrush  that  pipes  his  evening  roundelay  to  ravish  the  ear  of  the 
cottager. 

"It  may  be  said  of  her,  as  was  said  of  Robert  Burns,  who 
wrote  and  sang  the  songs  of  Scotland  : 

'I  see  along  the  banks  of  Ayr 
A  ploughman,  who,  'mid  foul  and  fair, 

Sings  at  his  task  ; 
So  sweet  I  know  not  if  it  is 
The  tuneful  laverock's  song  or  his, 

Nor  care  to  ask.' 

1 '  Her  life  work  is  done  ;  the  great  reaper,  with  his  inexora- 
ble sickle,  has  gathered  her  into  the  eternal  sheaf.  The  curtain 
has  fallen  for  the  last  time  and  veiled  her  forever  from  mortal 
sight ;  but  the  recollection  of  her  tender  deeds  and  the  charm 
of  her  flute-like  voice  will  live  forever  in  the  phonograph  of 
human  memory." 

In  a  letter  to  the  Philadelphia  Record,  Mr.  J.  W.  Hinds,  of 
Wilkesbarre,  writes : 

"Dear  Emma  Abbott,  for  whose  coming  we  had  learned  to 
watch  and  wait  as  for  that  of  the  birds,  and  the  leaves,  and 
the  flowers,  has  passed  from  earth.  What  a  grand  charac- 
ter was  hers!  Her  generosity  was  unbounded.  To  those  who 
had  in  any  way  encouraged  her  in  her  early  years,  whether  by  a 
kindly  word  or  patronage,  she  always  expressed  herself  as  un- 
der obligation,  and  she  never  seemed  to  consider  such  obliga- 


Her  Charities    Wisely    Bestowed.  l.M 

tion  fully  discharged  When  in  after  years  she  mel  these 
friends,  she  would  say  :  •  I  don't  forget  all  you  did  for  me,  and 
now  I  want  you  to  accept  this  (whatever  the  bestowal  might  be), 

not  as  a  remuneration  for  your  kindness,  for  monej  cannot  dis- 
charge that  debt  ;  but  in  token  of  my  remembrance  of  your 
goodness."  1  never  knew  a  woman  in  public  lite  so  easily 
touched  by  suffering  as  was  she.  As  a  rule,  after  people  knock 
about  the  world  for  a  time,  and  jostle  against  deceit,  falsehood, 
etc.,  they  become  hardened,  but  Emma  Abbotl  would  cry  like  a 
child  at  a  story  of   woe. 

"One  day,  on  the  street  in  Alleghany  City,  I  saw  her  -top 
and  inquire  of  a  poor,  crippled  old  man  the  cause  of  his  lame- 
ness, and  when  she  had  given  him  almost  the  entire  contents  of 
her  purse,  she  turned  to  me  saying,  -John,  I  wish  I  knew  that 
he  has  a  comfortable  place  to  sleep  and  enough  to  eat.  1 
never  see  an  old  man  in  such  circumstances,  bul  I  think  of  my 
dear  old^father,  and  how  it  would  grieve  me  were  his  condition 
similar. ' 

•And  yet  she  gave  wisely,  never  heeding  the  importunities 
of  professional  beggars.  She  was  greatly  annoyed  by  begging 
letters,  often  receiving  a  number  in  one  mail.  Blackmailers  ob- 
tained no  satisfaction  from  her,  her  keen  iutuition  divining  at 
once  their  intentions." 

Mary  H.  Fiske,  the  Giddy  Gusher  of  the  New  ¥>>,/>•  Mirror^ 
whose  bright  and  witty  sayings  cheered  hundreds,  and  whose 
death  cast  gloom  over  the  readers  of  that  paper,  attended  a 
performance  of  the  Abbott  company,  in  Washington,  some 
years  ago,  and  afterward  wrote  to  a  friend  as  follows:  -I 
went  to  hear  Emma  Abbott  on  .Monday  evening,  and  when  1 
left  the  theater  I  said  to  myself.  •  I  don'1  like  her  because  be- 
cause— I  don't.'  Next  morning  I  went  to  fulfill  a  promise  to 
interview  the  prima  donna,  and  when  she  met  m.'  with  her  cor 
dial  hand-shake,  ami  pleasant  smile.  I  began  to  think.  -Well. 
I  do  like  her  after  all.'  We  talked  an  hour.  1  saw  the  inside 
of  her  warm,  gentle,  womanly  nature,  and  I  loved  her. 

"That  night  I  heard  her  sing  Lucia,  and  although  I  have 


158  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

heard  music  that  made  me  fancy  myself  only  just  outside  the 
gates  of  Paradise,  I  never  listened  to  anything  that  equalled 
Abbott's  singing  on  that  occasion.  When  I  set  to  work  to 
analyze  my  feelings  and  the  change  therein,  I  found  I  went  to 
that  Monday  night  performance  with  my  heart  chuck  full  of 
prejudice,  and  Eli  Perkins'  criticisms  of  eight  years  before. 
Emma  Abbott  can  sing,  divinety,  too,  and  if  there  is  either  in 
or  out  of  the  profession  a  grander,  more  unselfish  nature  than 
hers,  I  would  like  to  know  where  it  is. " 

Mrs.  Mary  F.  Clarke,  society  editor  on  one  of  the  San  Fran- 
cisco dailies,  comments  on  Miss  Abbott's  death  as  follows : 
' <  How  little  I  thought  when  I  last  saw  her,  Emma  Abbott  was 
so  soon  to  die.  Only  a  fortnight  before  I  spent  an  hour,  per- 
haps two,  in  her  room  at  the  Baldwin,  and  her  magnetic  pres- 
ence seemed  to  win  me  at  once  to  her  side.  She  told  me  of  her 
lonely  widowhood,  and  said,  '  In  three  weeks  I  shall  occupy 
the  room  where  he  died. '  I  suggested  to  her  that  to  thus  fos- 
ter  her  grief  was  a  mistake,  and  urged  her  to  take  apartments 
at  another  hotel.  '  No,  no, '  said  she ;  '  it  will  be  such  a  com- 
fort to  me  to  sleep  in  the  room  where  he  last  slept,  where  he 
wrote  his  last  letter  to  me,  sent  me  his  last  kiss,  and  wrote,  '  I 
will  see  you  soon.' 

' '  Then  we  talked  of  her  art,  and  she  said ,  '  I  hope  within  the 
next  four  years  to  rise  to  the  distinction  of  the  world's  greatest 
singer.  I  have  already  the  best,  most  thoroughly  drilled  com- 
pany. Some  of  my  principals  are  the  best  in  their  line  the 
world  affords  ;  my  wardrobe  is  the  finest  ever  worn  by  mortal 
woman,  and  why,  in  view  of  the  advancement  made  by  me  in 
the  use  of  my  voice  during  the  last  three  years,  may  I  not 
hope  by  study  and  the  aid  of  the  best  instruction  Europe 
affords,  to  gain  that  to  which  I  aspire?  ' 

' '  There  was  another  side  to  her  nature  ;  the  generous,  for- 
giving side.  Said  she,  '  When  the  critics  sa}-  unkind  things, 
and  sometimes  make  false  statements,  too,  I  anatyze  them  care- 
fully to  find  something  by  which  I  can  profit.  I  sometimes 
feel  like  saying  to  those  who  write  such  scathing  criticisms, 


Pram   Did  Not  Spoil  Her.  159 

'You  are  doing  me  a  great   favor  and  I  thank  you  heartily. ' 

*     *     Where   will    another  arise  to  fill  her  place?     Othera 

may  delight  the  ear  with  glorious  voices,  please  the  eye  with 

powerful  acting,  fine  attire,  but  those  on  whose  friendship-scroll 
Emma  Abbott's  name  is  written,  have  met  with  a  loss  which 
will  grow  heavier  as  the  years  go  on.  and  we  realize  that  the 
cordial  welcome,  and  her  loving  smile  will  no  more  await  .-in- 
coming. " 

Mr.  J.  C.  Abdill,  of  Kansas  City,,  writes :  "Emma  Ab- 
bott was  a  Christian  woman,  thoroughly  conscientious  and  a  liv- 
ing example  of  the  fact  that  there  may  be  ::<»<>  1  men  and 
women,  even  Christian  men  and  women  on  the  stage.  1  remem- 
ber well  how  she  used  to  talk  to  the  young  ladies  of  her  com- 
pany, and  exhort  them  to  live  in  a  manner  to  refute  the  popu- 
lar impression  that  all  connected  with  the  stage  i>  impure.  She 
told  them  what  to  expect,  and  I  am  sure  they  never  forgol  thai 
talk  or  Miss  Abbott's  influence,  either." 

The  Salt  Lake  City  Tribune  contains  the  following  beauti- 
ful tribute:  "It  is  refreshing  to  find  one  whom  the  plaudits 
of  the  people,  and  the  peculiar  training  of  the  stage  have  been 
powerless  to  spoil.  Such  an  one  was  Emma  Abbott.  She  has 
been  petted  by  royalty,  patronized  by  wealth,  the  prot.'g,'  of  a 
millionaire,  and  the  favorite  of  the  Baroness  Rothschild,  t  la- 
sunshine  of  an  enviable  fame  has  enwreathed  her,  and  ye\ 
withal  she  has  ever  been  a  grateful,  considerate,  warm  hearted 
woman,  one  whose  success  has  always  been  tempered  by  mem- 
ories that  lie  too  deep  for  tears. 

'' She  possessed  one  of  those  sweet,  purely-musical  voices  so 
rarely  heard,  and  so  difficult  to  describe  when  heard.  It  bad  a 
sensitive,  delicate  timbre,  a  flute-like,  silvery  tone,  and  a  charm 
ing  individuality.  Miss  Abbott  sang  with  her  mind  and  soul 
as  much  as  with  the  throat.  Only  when  a  beautiful  voice  i^ 
united  with  a  highly  emotional  nature,  and  carefully  cultivated, 
does  the  auditor  perceive  Hie  tire  of  genius  permeating  and  illu- 
minating rare  talent.  It  was  this  halo  of  physical  intensity 
which  gave   to  every   tone   of    tin-    American    prima    donna    its 


160  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

most  irresistible  charm.  Regarded  from  a  purely  critical 
standpoint,  her  voice  was  one  of  exceptional  compass  ;  full 
and  rich  in  the  lower  register,  pulsing  with  tenderness  and  pa- 
thos in  the  middle  tones,  and  as  bright,  sparkling,  and  clear,  as 
a  rippling  stream  is  the  voce  de  testa. " 

Frederick  N.  Peck,  of  Chicago,  pays  his  tribute  to  the  dead 
songstress  in  the  following  words  : 

' '  Like  the  fragrance  of  that  wealth  of  flowers  which  swathed 
the  casket  in  their  plentitude  of  perfume,  and  upon  the  thou- 
sands of  tearful  eyes  and  aching  hearts  left  sweet  impress  of 
memory,  so  is  her  voice  still  a  lingering  melody ;  reverberating 
in  the  reveries  of  the  popular  heart.  All  that  is  mortal  of  the 
woman  will  soon  be  turned  to  ashes,  but  Emma  Abbott  as  the 
persevering  girl,  the  energetic  business  woman,  the  accom- 
plished singer,  the  kind  companion  and  the  lonely  widow,  as 
the  youthful  sheaf  garnered  by  death's  sickle  in  its  prime,  will 
last  long  after  the  silver  trappings  of  the  casket  which  was 
borne  from  Music  Hall,  shall  have  been  tarnished  by  time. 

"How  many  phases  of  human  life  and  chararter  lajr  on  that 
bier.  The  rugged  peasant  girl  who  had  listened  to  the  tuneful 
Chimes  of  Normandy,  could,  in  an  imaginative  moment,  be 
transformed  to  a  sweet,  loving,  graceful  Virginia,  wandering 
with  her  Paul.  In  the  Swiss  mountain  home  the  penitent  Mag- 
dalen returns  to  the  parent  roof,  a  moaning  Linda.  A  shift  of 
the  scenes,  and  the  Rose  of  Castile  dances  with  merry  music 
into  sight. 

"But  more  than  twenty  j-ears  ago,  the  plain  American  peo- 
ple, whose  hearts  Miss  Abbott  has  since  won,  did  not  see  the 
artiste  in  that  modest  young  girl,  who,  with  only  a  sweet  voice, 
a  guitar,  and  a  pure,  womanl}'  heart,  supplemented  by  no  end 
of  ambition,  gave  her  simple,  yet  enjoyable  concerts  wherever 
she  could  gain  an  audience. 

"Her  earnings  she  carefully  hoarded  for  future  advancement. 
Her  first  appearance  outside  of  Illinois  was  at  Grand  Rapids, 
Michigan,  in  the  dining-room  of  the  old  Rathbun  hotel.  The 
room  was  filled,  twenty-five  cents  being  the  admission  fee.     A 


vih   Abbott. 


Walter  Allen's  Tribute  of  1.  161 

few  years  ago.  Miss  Abbott  in  response  to  a  second  encore,  at 
the  Grand  Rapids  theater,  made  a  speech  as  full  of  gratitude 
as  it  was  of  remembrance  of  the  encouragement  given  her  as  a 
poor  girl.     *    *  It  was  her  energy  thai  made  Emma  Ai>- 

bott  what  she  was.  and  nerved  her  to  that  fatal  effort  which 
was  her  last. " 

Walter  Allen,  for  many  year  her  stage  manager,  and  to  the 
last  a  devoted  friend,  says  :  •'  She  treated  all  of  her  company 
with  the  greatest  consideration,  ami  told  them  always  to  bring 
their  troubles  to  her.  And  when  they  did,  they  were  bum  of  a 
listener  and  sympathetic  friend.  She  had  the  greatest  capacity 
for  work  of  any  one  I  ever  have  known.  She  was  the  hardest 
worker  in  the  company,  yet  when  we  were  all  worn  out  she  was 
as  fresh  as  though  she  had  just  had  a  long  rest.  She  did  not 
change  as  she  grew  rich  and  successful,  but  always  remained 
the  same,  and  to  her  we  'boys  '  who  had  been  so  long  with  her. 
were  always  -boys;'  to  her  we  were  'Billy,'  'Walter,'  and 
'Brod." 

""Women  do  not  exist  who  are  purer  than  Emma  Abbott 
There  was  never  a  stain  on  her  reputation  or  character.  Tin'  crit- 
ics found  fault  with  her  as  an  artiste,  because  she  introduced  sim- 
ple ballads  into  such  operas  as  Faust.  She  did  this  because 
the  people  wanted  to  hear  them.  She  sang  what  the  people 
wanted,  and  that  is  one  secret  of  her  success.  During  our 
tours  through  the  South,  I  have  known  as  many  as  fifty  re- 
quests to  come  in  on  one  evening,  for  'Last  Rose  of  Summer . 
and  she  always  sang  it  when  thus  requested,  do  matter  what 
the  opera. " 

Dora  Wilson  (Mrs.  Walter  Allen),  of  the  Lotta  company, 
savs  of  Miss  Abbott:  "  I  think  do  other  star  was  so  loved  by 
her  company.  She  was  the  most  democratic  of  women.  Her 
death  was  a  dreadful  shock  to  US,    for  we    loved    her    so    dearly. 

Sh<-  was  such  a   Loving,  sunny,  good-natured  soul.      Her  place 

will  be  hard  to  fill,  both  on  the  stage  and  in  society,  and  with 
those  Of   us    who    were    in    her   company,   who    learned    to    look 

upon  a  day  as  incomplete,  unless  we  had  exchanged  a  word 


162  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

with  her,  and  received  her  greeting,  her  place  can  never  be 
filled. " 

Robert  J.  Jessup  was  one  of  the  songstress'  most  ardent  ad- 
mirers and  friends,  and  being  aware  of  this,  the  author  sent  to 
him  a  paper  containing  the  advance  sheets  of  the  work  in  hand  ; 
receiving  in  acknowledgment  the  following  letter.  Mr.  Jessup 
is  at  present  a  member  of  the  Salt  Lake  Tribune  editorial  corps. 

' '  I  received  last  evening  a  Minneapolis  paper  containing  a 
review  of  your  biography  of  the  late  Emma  Abbott,  who  fell 
asleep  in  this  city  January  5  th  last,  and  so  suddenly  that  her 
sorrow- stricken  family  did  not  realize  what  was  coming  until  too 
late  for  them  to  reach  her  bedside.  Thank  you  for  the  courtesy 
in  sending  that  paper.  I  read  it  with  the  greatest  interest,  and 
will  see  that  my  children  are  supplied  with  a  copy  of  the  Biog- 
raphy when  it  appears.  Every  American  girl  who  hopes  to 
make  this  world  the  better  by  having  lived  in  it,  and  who  de- 
sires to  carve  a  name  for  herself  in  the  column  of  Fame,  ought 
to  read  the  biography  of  Emma  Abbott.  There,  is  surely  an 
example  worth  following. 

' '  I  am  glad  you  are  making  a  feature  of  Emma's  spiritual 
life,  her  faith  in  her  Maker  and  His  Son  who  gave  Himself  up 
for  us,  as  the  Apostle  says,  '  that  all  should  not  perish,  but 
have  everlasting  life ;  as  many  as  would  look  unto  Him  and  be 
saved. '  Emma's  faith,  a  faith  that  nothing  could  overturn  and 
cause  to  falter,  was  what  carried  her  safely  through  the  count- 
less temptations  that  so  surround  the  stage  ;  and  the  stage  was 
purified  and  made  so  much  the  more  respectable  for  her  having 
trod  its  boards  for  twent}^  j-ears.  Her  echo  of  that  saying  of 
Job,  '  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth '  came  very  well  from 
a  woman  of  her  nobility  of  character."' 


CHAPTER     XIX 


X*  a  previous  chapter  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Boff- 
man  are  mentioned  among  those  who  flrst  be- 
came interested  in  Miss  A.bbott,when  she  visited 
New  York  City  with  a  view  of  taking  up  her 
studies  there.  Among  the  most  beautiful  and 
heartfelt  tributes  to  the  singer's  worth  is  a  let- 
ter written  the  author  on  hearing  of  her  relation  to  the  work  in 
hand,  b}' the  widow  of  George  Eoffman,  Mrs.  Sophia  Boffman, 
who  still  resides  in  New  York  City. 

The  lad}-  sa3's  :  "It  seems  as  if  I  must  fly  to  you  to  tell 
you  of  the  dear  girl's  efforts,  and  days  of  hard  work  after  com- 
ing to  Xew  Vork,  and  before  the  public,  which  did  a  little  later 
help  lift  her  toward  the  goal  of  her  desires.  It  was  my  good 
fortune  to  see  and  to  know  that  beautiful  inner  life,  that  dailj  es 
ample,  pure  as  purity  itself,  that  patient,  uncomplaining  endur- 
ance of  criticism  and  misfortune,  that  sunny,  happy  nature, which 

required  so  little  of  kindness  and  prosperity  t ake  her  forgel 

that  a  cloud  ever  existed.  Ber  example  should  nerve  the 
masses  of  our  voting  women  and  girls  to  higher  living  and 
purer  thinking. 

"  It  was  in  my  home  Emma  frequently  met  the  man  whom 
she  loved  with  the  same  intensity  and  Cervoi  she  did  ever} 
thing  else.     There  were  so  manj   letters,  scores  of   them  from 


16<±  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

the  time  she  sailed  awaj-  a  stranger,  as  it  were,  alone,  and  go- 
ing to  a  land  of  strangers ;  from  which  extracts  would  interest 
all,  but,  alas  !  never  did  I  dream  she  would  go  to  the  Brighter 
Land  before  me,  and  all,  with  others,  the  accumulation  of 
years,  have  been  destroyed. 

"  Just  before  sailing,  in  1872,  she  sang  at  the  Horace  Greeley 
birthda}'   reception, 

'  Should  auld  acquaintance  be  forgot, 
And  never  brought  to  mind  ?  ' 

and  one  year  from  that  day  she  learned  of  the  death  of  that 
dear,  devoted  friend.  She  had  been  suffering  for  weeks  from 
nervous  prostration,  which  it  was  feared  might  prove  ruinous  to 
her  voice.  Indeed,  for  several  days  she  had  not  been  able  to 
utter  a  note,  and  had  been  forbidden  under  any  circumstances 
to  try  her  voice. 

' '  When  the  news  of  Mr.  Greeley's  death  reached  her,  she  was 
almost  heart-broken,  and  falling  on  her  knees  she  prayed  for  his 
family,  and  then  in  tones  as  clear  as  airy  she  ever  uttered,  she 
sang  once  more  the  old  familiar  song,  to  the  memory  of  that  great 
and  good  man.  '  From  this  hour,  dear  Sophie, '  she  wrote  me,  '  my 
voice  was  restored. '  One  day  when  she  came  in  to  lunch,  she 
sang  out  merrily,  <  Not  a  shoestring  in  my  shoe  this  morning, 
but  I  have  just  sent  my  dear  little  mamma  a  pair  of  elegant, 
warm  blankets,  for  how  can  I  enjoy  my  warm  room  and  bed 
when  I  know  how  cold  it  is  out  there  on  the  lake?  '  Dear,  dear 
Emma  ;  how  little  I  realized  as  I  last  looked  into  her  dear  face 
that  it  was  indeed  a  last  farewell. 

' '  I  spent  several  days  with  her  at  the  Hotel  Vendome  the 
fall  after  her  husbands  death.  We  planned  a  long  life,  and  I 
urged  her  to  rest  for  a  while  from  her  arduous  labors,  and  said, 
<  Your  husband's  death  means  rest  for  you,  rest  and  repose  for 
a  season  at  least. '  Her  reply  was,  '  Rest  on  earth,  means 
death  for  me.'  " 

A  friend  in  Cleveland  writes  :  "  Miss  Abbott  was  charming 
in  conversation,  and  a  talk  with  her  afforded  genuine  delight. 
She  was  an  educated,  cultured,  warm-hearted,  generous  woman, 


The  Bitter-sweet  of  Life.  165 

with  -charity  for  all.  and  malice  toward  Done.'  Her  straight- 
forward, brilliant  career  had  finally  melted  the  barriers 
udice  and  spite,  and  she  stood  at  the  close  of  her  life  where  a 
rival  American  singer  vowed  she  never  would  stand,  on  the 
very  pinnacle  of  success.  The  rival  artiste  had  friends  al  court. 
and  being  a  woman,  for  several  years  had  her  way,  bat  she 
could  not  forever  keep  talent  in  the  background  It  is  a  rare 
and  delicate  article,  but  it  survives  rough  usage,  and  when  it 
emerges  from  the  shadow,  shines  brightly  and  gives  forth 
a  wonderful  light.  It  seems  a  mysterious  Providence  that  calls 
her  from  a  career  of  such  usefulness,  and  removes  from  society 
the  example  of  one  so  pure  and  good,  but  •  His  ways  are  not 
our  ways, 'and  it  may  be  that  she  is  by  her  untimely  death 
spared  some  terrible  affliction." 

An  Atlanta.  <ia..  gentleman,  one  of  the  Constitution  editorial 
corps,  says  in  a  letter  to  a  friend  : 

"  The  first  time  I  met  Emma  Abbott  was  soon  after  her  hus- 
band's sad  death  ;  and  she  seemed  to  me  a  strange,  yet  beauti- 
ful, exponent  of  the  '  Bitter-sweet '  of  life.  In  the  morning, 
gowned  in  a  sable  robe,  her  face  worn  by  the  flow  of  tears,  as 
she  sat  in  her  luxurious  apartments  at  the  hotel,  in  the  even- 
ing the  embodiment  of  sunlight  and  Laughter;  a  brilliant  star 
against  the  sad  background  of  a  sorrowful  life. 

"She  met  me  with  a  warm,  magnetic  hand  clasp,  and  a  smile 
at  once  divinely  sweet,  divinely  sad. 

"  'Ah,  I   have   little   to  tell,'  she  said,   as   she    lifted    her   SOr- 

rowful  eyes  to  my  face.  ' The  anguish  and  painful  excitement 
I  have  undergone  would  have  killed  me  had  I  not  been  eon 
stantly  absorbed  in  work.  At  firsl  I  thoughl  it  would  drive  me 
mad,  this  going  back  to  the  old  life,  and  the  old  songs  with 

their  triumphs  and    applause.       What   was  applause    to  me  when 

my  heart  was  breaking  ? 

"'In  the  firsl  days  of  my  grief  I  said.  •  I  cannot  sing,  I 
must  cancel  mj  engagements,'  bul  the  thought  came  to  me, 
'What  are  all  the  people  who  depend  on  me  to  do?  Sow  are 
the\  to  live,  thrown  out  of  their  engagements  and  their  salaries 


166  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

cut  off  ?  '  They  are  so  good,  so  considerate,  so  kind  to  me  ;  I 
could  not  leave  thern  to  chance  for  support.  My  own  suffering 
made  me  more  sympathetic  toward  all  mankind.  I  said  to  my 
manager,  '  Yes,  I  will  go  on  ; '  and  in  two  weeks  after  my  hus- 
band was  buried,  I  began  taking  up  the  old  roles  again,  but  I 
assure  you  it  is  very  hard. ' 

"I  do  not  believe  the  little  woman  ever  recovered  from  that 
blow.  I  saw  her  a  year  later,  but  the  traces  of  sorrow  and  be- 
reavement were  still  fresh  on  her  cheeks,  and  her  life  seemed 
still  darkened  by  the  loss  of  her  beloved  husband." 

James  H.  Colville,  a  prominent  law}er  of  Springfield,  and  a 
life-long  friend  of  herself  and  husband,  pa}*s  to  them  the  fol- 
lowing tender  tribute  :  "I  never  knew  a  man  who  so  nearly 
worshipped  his  wife  as  did  Eugene  Wetherell.  To  men  in  busi- 
ness matters,  and  even  sometimes  in  addressing  his  wife  on 
matters  in  the  line  of  business,  he  was  brusque  and  what 
might  be  termed  hard  ;  but  the  way  his  e}re  lighted  up  as  he 
saw  her  come  to  the  footlights  to  respond  to  an  encore,  said 
plainly  to  all  around  him,  'That  little  woman  is  m}-  wife,  and 
in  her  my  sun  rises  and  sets. ' 

' '  Nor  was  the  devotion  all  on  one  side,  for  Wetherell  knew 
that  his  wife  idolized  him  ;  that  his  coming  and  going  were  the 
rising  and  setting  of  her  sun.  Right  justly  was  he  proud  of 
such  love,  for  a  purer,  more  lovable  woman  never  gave  her 
heart  in  keeping  of  man.  To  me  it  was  a  marvel  how  through 
a  stage  experience  of  over  twenty  years,  she  so  deported  herself 
that  not  a  word  of  criticism  was  ever  passed  on  aught  pertain- 
ing to  her,  save  her  artistic  work. 

"Her  reputation  as  a  .woman  was  utterly  free  from  stain. 
And  yet  she  was  no  prude.  Free  in  manner  and  conversation, 
there  was  in  heart  and  nature  an  innate  purity  and  goodness 
which  moulded  her  whole  life. 

' '  Peace  to  her  ashes  and  may  her  pure  life  prove  an  example, 
which  will  be  followed  by  many,  and  I  would  that  her  mantle 
were  as  broad  as  her  charity,  then  might  all  the  women  of  her 
profession  be  protected  thereby. " 


77"    Kansas    City  Times  TribtUi  L67 

A  dear  friend  on  the  Kansas  City  Times'  corps  gives  exj 

sion  to  his  esteem  in  the  following  beautiful  words  : 

•She  is  dead,  but  not  forgotten.     She  leaves  behind  her  an 

artistic  void.  Success  had  not  taken  from  her  womanliness 
those  elements  of  sincerity  of  strength  and  directness  of  pur- 
pose, of  purity  of  character,  which  made  the  people  love  her. 
She  was  true  to  herself,  to  her  ideals,  to  the  public,  throughout 
a  career,  the  temptations  of  which  must  have  been  many.  She 
triumphed  over  obstacles  that  would  easily  have  baffled  a  less 
courageous  spirit,  and  by  her  masterful  determination  to  succeed 
and  to  please,  did  please  and  did  succeed  as  has  do  other  with 
her  capabilities  within  an  equal  sphere.  She  won.  and  won  well 
and  worthily,  artistic  honors  through  sheer  energj  and  unflag- 
ging application  of  the  gifts  nature  gave.  The  genius  of  perse- 
verance was  hers  in  the  highest  degree.  Personally  lovable, 
professionally  admirable,  the  little  woman  has  the  great  tribute 
of  honest  tears  from  all  who  knew  her  honest  lite. 

Col.  William  M.  Ferry,  of  Park  City,  Utah,  tells  a  little 
story  of  the  prima  donna's  early  life,  or  about  the  time  she  was 
giving  concerts  to  raise  money  to  pay  for  her  musical  instruc- 
tion in  New  York  City.  Aided  by  his  brother,  Edward  Ferry 
(now  also  a  Park  City  man  and  member  of  the  Utah  legisla- 
ture), T.  Stewart  White,  of  Grand  Rapids,  and  John  A.  Leg 
gett,  of  Butte.  Montana;  all  at  that  time  residents  of  Grand 
Haven;  the  colonel  succeeded  in  enlisting  the  sympathies  of 
the  public,  announcing  that  a  beautiful  young  soprano  from  Pe- 
oria was  in  town,  and  would  sing  at  Hubbard's  hall. 

•And  when  our  little  Emma,  as  she  was  afterward  called. 
made  her  courtesy  on  the  platform,  a  sea  of  three  hundred  or 
more  faces  greeted  her.  Emma's  heart  throbbed  with  delighl 
beneath  that  neatly-fitting  worsted  dress,  and  how  those  laugh- 
ing eyes  of  hers  did  sparkle!  The  sighl  of  that  audience  in 
spired  her;  and  sing?  Well,  that  audience  thought  so.  until 
the  building  shook  ;  and  the  singer  remarked  some  years  after- 
wards that,  even  with  her  European  training,  she  never  sang 
more  sweetly  than  at  the  Hubbard  Null  concert 


168  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

' '  Emma  was  very  happy  next  day,  as  the  receipts  were  sev- 
enty-five or  eighty  dollars,  and  she  felt  more  confidence  in  her- 
self than  before.  She  left  that  day  for  Muskegon,  after  thank- 
ing her  quartet  of  friends  for  the  kindly  assistance  rendered 
her.  The  young  soprano  entered  Muskegon  with  a  prestige 
and  she  did  well  there,  her  treasury  being  added  to  by  a  hand- 
some sum.  On  her  return  from  Europe,  she,  remembering  her 
kindly  reception  in  Grand  Haven  and  Muskegon,  visited  both 
places  with  her  concert  troupe,  and  was  cordially  welcomed. 

"I  did  not  meet  Miss  Abbott  again  until  1884,  when  I  came 
down  to  Salt  Lake  from  Park  City  on  purpose  to  see  her,  and 
called  at  the  Walker  house,  where  she  was  stopping.  In  the 
course  of  conversation  she  inquired  if  my  wife  was  with  me,  to 
which  I  replied  in  the  negative,  but  that  she  might  be  down 
during  the  engagement.  '  Let  me  know  if  she  comes, '  said  the 
prima  donna,  'and  I  will  sing  "Last  Rose  of  Summer"  on 
purpose  for  her. '  Mrs.  Ferry  did  not  appear,  but  the  beautiful 
song  was  rendered  for  me,  and  I  shall  never  forget  it. " 

Editor  Thomas,  of  the  American  Art  Journal  says  :  < '  Emma 
Abbott  was  a  remarkably  gifted  woman  in  many  ways.  She 
felt  that  she  was  destined  for  the  stage,  and  after  repeated  misfort- 
unes, finally  won  her  way  to  a  fame  vouchsafed  to  no  other  Ameri- 
can singer.  Her  success  was  due  to  her  quick  intelligence,  the 
possession  of  a  warm  and  impulsive  nature,  that  won  and  held 
friends,  unbounded  energy,  faith  in  her  ability  to  accomplish 
anything  she  undertook,  a  mastery  of  details,  aud  a  will  power 
that  bent  all  opposition,  while  her  earnest  enthusiasm  and  never- 
failing  pluck  won  for  her  the  admiration  of  the  public. 

"She  was  one  of  the  most  powerful  illustrations  of  the 
American  saying  that,  'Nothing  succeeds  like  success. '  Emma 
Abbott  fulfilled  her  every  engagement.  Her  word  was  as 
strong  as  her  bond  with  managers  and  artistes,  and  she  earned 
the  sobriquet  of   '  Honest  little  Emma,  '  the  country  over. 

"So,  after  an  eventful  early  life,  she  closes  a  career  which 
fully  compensated  her  for  her  privations  and  struggles.  Her 
ambitions  were  realized  by  sheer  force  of  her  intellectual  gifts, 


Fred  M.  Abbott. 


Her  Early  Dreams.  L69 

exercised  according  to  her  lights.  She  leaves  an  unsullied  rep- 
utation :  and  her  example  of  a  heroic  Btruggle  to  succeed  in  life, 
will  be  an  inspiration  to  thousands  of  American  women,  who 
are  attempting  to  solve  the  bread-winning  problem." 

Mrs.  E.  A.  Forbes,  of  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  and  Miss 
Abbott  became  acquainted  at  Milan.  Italy,  in  1>7l\  ami 
the  friendship  there  formed  was  continued  until  cancelled 
by  the  singer's  death.  In  the  summer  of  '88  the  friends 
met  in  Paris,  and  spent  many  hours  in  riding,  talking  over  the 
times  bygone,  and  the  struggles  of  each. 

Mrs.  Forbes  pays  this  tribute  to  her  dead  friend.  "The 
news  of  dear  Emma's  death  came  like  a  thunderclap  at  noon- 
day. Being  in  the  country  on  a  visit.  1  had  not  even  heard 
she  was  ill.  and  the  very  morning  of  my  departure  for  home 
had  exacted  from  my  sister  a  promise  to  spend  the  New  Or- 
leans Abbott  season'  with  me.  On  reaching  home  1  found  a 
telegram  from  my  husband  who  was  in  Ogden,  saying  •  Emma 
Abbott  died  at  Salt  Lake  this  morning.'  What  a  Hood  of 
memories  rushed  over  me.  I  could  see  her  again,  a  fair-haired, 
blue-eyed  girl  of  frail  physique,  and  a  face  as  innocent  as  that 
■of  a  baby.  I  recalled  our  conversations,  and  in  fancy  I  heard 
her  say  again  as  of  yore,  'Nell,  will  I  ever  become  a  great 
singer?  '  then  we  would  roam  away  in  the  fields  of  imagination 
and  she  would  say,  'Will  it  not  be  queer  if  I  ever  am  a  famous 
singer,  and  you  will  come  to  listen  to  me  and  my  company/ 
The  Abbott  Company!  doesn't  that  sound  -rand'/  May  be  it 
will  be  so.  Every  one  has  to  have  a  beginning,  and  humble 
ones  make  the  best  endings,  it  is  said.  Of  course  I  am  here  to 
make  a  singer  of  myself,  and  1  certainly  hope  some  day  to  lie 
a  famous  one,  but,  oh!  Nell,  it's  such  a  long  way  oil.  mid  then 
if  I  should  fail,  ami  disappoint  my  dear,  good  friends  who  have 

done,  and  are  doing  so  much  for  me.  would  that  not  he  terri- 
ble?' and  she  would  lay  her  head  on  m\  Bhoulder  and  cry. 

■  Now   -he  is  gone  in  the  prim,   of   life,  mid  although  she  has 
attained    so    much.    I,  as   a    personal    friend,    know    that   sonic  of 

her  fondest  hop.-  are  still  unfulfilled.     She  has  talked  with  me 


170  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

for  hours  of  her  intention  to  build  a  home  and  school  for 
young  and  ambitious  artistes,  who,  like  herself  when  she  began, 
lack  means  to  prosecute  their  studies.  The  last  time  we  talked 
of  it  was  in  Paris,  the  summer  before  her  husband's  death,  and 
she  said,  '  In  a  few  years  more  I  shall  have  enough  to  fulfil  my 
plans.  I  want  it  done  during  my  lifetime,  that  I  may  super- 
vise it  myself,  and  when  I  retire  (for  I  certainly  shall  retire  be- 
fore my  voice  begins  in  the  least  to  break),  I  will  take  solid 
comfort  in  visiting  the  institution  and  giving  young  students 
encouragement. ' 

' '  Poor  girl  !  she  did  '  retire '  while  yet  her  voice  was  at  its 
best,  if  indeed  it  had  reached  the  limit  of  its  possibilities,  but  her 
fond  hope,  to  help  others  of  her  profession,  is  not  carried  out. 
And  yet  by  the  terms  of  her  will  she  has  shown  her  wonder- 
fully liberal,  charitable  disposition,  and  hundreds  will  'rise  up 
and   call   her   blessed.'     *     *     * 

' '  On  all  this  continent  there  have  been  but  two  who  have  shown 
a  disposition  to  publicly  rob  her  of  the  place  she  has  won  and  will 
ever  hold  in  the  hearts  of  the  American  people.  One  of  these 
is  a  Kansas  City  minister,  the  other  a  journalist  named,  J. 
Travis  Quigg. 

The  former,  in  a  sermon  soon  after  the  death  of  Miss  Ab- 
bott, abused  her  because  she  did  not  leave  her  mone}r  to  her 
profession,  forgetting  to  mention  the  fact  that  she  left  forty-five 
thousand  dollars  to  the  churches  where  she  had  enjoyed  ser- 
vices. The  other  attacked  her  through  the  columns  of  the 
American  Musician.  Of  this  latter  attack  C.  M.  Jackson  says 
in   the  Salt  Lake   Tribune  : 

< '  In  the  far-away  land  across  the  sea  there  is  a  beast  which 
lurks  in  jungles  dark,  by  day  shrinking  from  contact  with  any- 
thing that  lives.  But  at  night,  when  skies  are  somber  and  the 
black  clouds  lower,  when  all  nature  is  hushed  in  sleep,  this 
hideous  monster  runs  rampant,  and  prowling  forth  with  silent 
footfall  seeks  its  pre}T  by  violating  the  graves  of  the  dead. 

"There  is  in  New  York  City  a  man — at  least  that  is  what 
naturalists  define  creatures  of  his  species — who  in  days  gone 


An    Unkind  Th  J  71 

by  doubtless  achieved  fame  as  a  clarionet  player  in  a  French 
variety  orchestra.  He  is  al  present  engaged  in  writing  stufl  for 
a  journal  yclept  Tin  American  Musician,  tie  signs  himself  •). 
Travis  Quigg.  Prior  to  this  time  he  has  remained  in  compar- 
ative obscurity,  save  when  the  gallery  gods  bestowed  upon  him 
an  encore  for  his  solo. 

••  In  many  respects  J.  Travis  Quigg  is  not  unlike  the  beast 
mentioned.  For  the  purpose  of  achieving  a  little  notoriety  h<- 
has  invaded  the  sanctuary  of  death,  and.  under  the  protection  of 
a  false  motive,  ascribed  by  himself,  assails  the  memory  of  the 
prima  donna  who  died  in  this  city  on  January  6.  Before  tin- 
last  breath  has  escaped  from  the  trembling  lip  ;  ere  the  echoes 
of  the  fluttering  sigh  have  died  away  in  the  chamber  of  death  ; 
while  yet  the  tears  are  falling  from  the  eyes  of  those  who  loved 
her,  this  ghoul  in  his  raw-head-and-bloody-bones  style  violates 
the  sanctity  of  eternity's  anteroom,  and  with  ruthless  hand 
snatches  the  object  of  his  dislike  from  the  sacred  couch  where 
undisturbed  she  should  have  slept,  and  holds  her  up  before  the 
world  as  an  object  of  contempt,  a  thing  he  dared  not  do  when 
she  was  alive. 

"'Sometimes  it  is  necessary  for  the  g 1  of  the   living  to 

speak  the  truth.'  says  this  desecrator  of  sepulchres.  •  Even 
though  the  mantle  of  charity  were  stretched  to  the  breaking 
point  it  could  not  be  made  to  cover  Abbotl  as  an  artist.  She 
was  not  only  not  an  artist,  but  her  financial  success  was  a  posi- 
tive detriment  to  art.  The  means  that  she  cinployd  to  push 
herself  forward  were  not  legitimate,  and  the  schemes  adopted 
to  advertise  herself  were  equally  objectionable.      In  a   word, 

Emma  Abbott  was    the    product    of    the    wild    ami    woolly   West, 

and  could  not  possibly  have  been  a  success  outside  the  United 

States. 

-.,    Aliholt    was    not    .-in    artist?     And    she    was   a     'positive 

detriment'  to  art?  Well,  the  people  of  this  country  have  been 
wonderfully  mistaken  in  their  judgmenl  all  these  years.  For, 
outside  the  city  of  New  York,  the  prevailing  opinion  has  been 
that  Emma  Abbott  was  an  artist,  bul  a  woman  of  ability  in  her 


172  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

grade  or  class,  who  never  aspired  to  greater  heights  than  nature 
fitted  her. 

"  We  may  or  may  not  call  it  art.  That  makes  but  little  dif- 
ference. '  That  which  we  call  a  rose,  by  any  other  name  would 
smell  as  sweet. '  Be  it  as  it  may,  Emma  Abbott  had  one  fac- 
ulty. She  could  sing  in  such  a  way  as  to  cause  the  smile  of 
mirth  to  illumine  the  face  of  the  listener  one  moment,  and  the 
tear  of  sympathy  to  dim  the  e}Te  the  next.  She  had  many 
moods,  and  some  way  her  audiences  were  always  in  sympathy 
with  each  and  every  one.  This  may  not  be  art,  and  may  not 
be  appreciated  by  the  orchestra  artists  of  New  York  City,  but 
it  seemed  to  please  in  other  places. 

' '  Perhaps  she  might  not  have  been  a  success  outside  the 
United  States.  It  matters  little  whether  she  would  or  not.  She 
was  nothing  if  not  American.  She  never  aspired  to  be  an}T- 
thing  but  what  she  was,  what  she  lived  and  died — a  womanly 
woman,  who,  knowing  her  own  ability,  never  sought  to  exag- 
gerate it. 

"'Only  time  and  increasing  intelligence  can  eradicate  Ab- 
bott opera, '  says  this  despoiler  of  cemeteries.  If  it  is  to  be 
eradicated,  let  time  cease  ;  let  mankind  retrograde  instead  of 
advance.  Let  every  singer  become  an  Abbott ;  the  world  will 
be  the  better  for  it. 

"  'She  was  a  product  of  the  wild  and  woolly  West,'  says  this 
man  ;  and  we  are  glad  of  it.  Would  that  we  had  more  of 
them  to  sing  the  songs  she  sang.  The  West  is  to  be  congratu- 
lated, for  it  has  produced  a  singer  whose  popularity  has  never 
been  equaled,  much  less  excelled,  barring,  of  course,  the  fact 
that  she  never  claimed  for  herself  the  topmost  round  of  the 
ladder.     *     *     * 

' '  Poor  little  Emma.  There  never  was  a  woman  of  whom 
America  might  be  more  proud.  She  loved  her  country  and  her 
friends,  she  loved  her  womanhood  and  defended  it  at  all  times, 
and  this  alone  should  be  sufficient  to  entitle  her  to  protection 
from  the  assaults  of  grave  robbers.  Would  that  she  could  for- 
sake the  voiceless  silence  of  the  tomb  long  enough  to  speak  a 


Lizzie  Abbott  Chirk'*  Letter.  1  73 

few  words  to  the  animal  who  seeks,  after  death,  to  besmirch 
that  which  he  dared  not  assail  in  life." 

The  Chicago  Tribum  of  January  14,  01.  printed  an  inter- 
view with  several  members  of  the  dramatic  profession,  son 

whom  seemed  to  feel  that  their  profession  should  have  been  re- 
membered in  her  will  ;  others  arguing  from  the  very  sensible 
standpoint  that  "Abbott's  money  was  her,  own.  and  she  had  a 
legal  and  moral  right  to  spend  it  as  she  chose." 

The  report  was  also  published  that  all  her  beautiful  wardrobe 
was  by  her  order,  burned.  The  sister  of  the  singer,  Mrs.  Liz- 
zie Abbott  Clark,  replied  to  the  articles  in  question,  and  her  let- 
ter is  published  complete.  This  should  forever  silence  those 
who  would  criticise  the  prima  donna  for  failure  to  remember  by 
bequest  either  the  members  of  her  company,  or  her  profession. 

••Kindly  allow  me  to  correct  through  the  columns  of  your 
paper  a  report  to  the  effect  that,  acting  upon  my  sister's  dying 
request,  her  maid,  immediately  after  her  decease,  burned  up  all 
of  Emma  Abbott's  elegant  costumes,  including  a  sealskin 
cloak,  etc.,  at  Hotel  Templeton,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah.  This 
report  is  entirely  erroneous  ;  but  for  the  benefit  of  friends  of 
dear  Emma  and  of  the  family  I  wish  to  state  the  facts  as  they 
are,  viz.:  the  physicians  knowing  there  is  danger  of  contagion 
from  germs  remaining  in  the  clothing  worn  by  pneumonia  pa- 
tients, recommended  that  my  sister's  clothing,  worn  during  her 
last  illness,  also  the  linen  from  her  bed.  be  burned,  which  was 
done  at  once;  but  no  part  of  her  beautiful  wardrobe  was 
burned,  nor  was  it  her  desire  to  have  them  destroyed,  as.  in  her 
will  she  bequeaths  all  her  wardrobe,  both  stage  and  private,  to 
me.  The  family  would  like  to  have  the  press  <>f  the  country 
generally  copy  this  letter,  as  the  report  referred  to  appeared  in 
the  newspapers  in  various  cities. 

i;  I  cannot  refrain  from  adding  a  few  lines  in  reference  to  what 
seems  to  me  a  gross  injustice  to  the  memory  of  my  deceased 
sister.  It  is  the  only  unkind  thing  1  have  read  of  her  Binoe 
her  sudden  and  untimely  death.  In  the  Tribum  of  January 
14,  1891,  appeared  an  article  entitled  'Forgot  Her  Profession,1 


174  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

in  which  various  theatrical  people  then  playing  in  the  local  the- 
aters criticised  Emma  sharply  because  she  made  no  provision 
for  the  members  of  her  company  and  no  bequest  to  the  Actors' 
Fund,  etc.  To  the  latter  I  have  nothing  to  reply ;  but  in  re- 
gard to  her  being  indifferent  to  her  company,  I  personally  know 
she  was  always  more  than  kind — aiding  them  with  money  and 
encouragement  during  illness,  and  in  all  her  seasons  on  the 
road  no  Saturday  ever  passed  that  she  did  not  pay  the  salary  of 
every  member  in  full,  and  often  an  advance  when  necessary. 
Had  she  known  death  would  come  so  soon,  I  feel  positive  she 
would  have  made  provision  for  each  member  of  her  company, 
but  she  expected  to  live  many  years  before  retiring  from  the 
stage,  and  as  changes  occurred  in  the  company  each  season  she 
would  have  had  to  make  a  new  will  every  year  in  order  to  re- 
member them  properly.  Then,  again,  the  statement  that  she 
called  her  company  to  her  bedside  the  Sunday  night  before  her 
death  and  told  them  the}' would  be  provided  for,  is  utterly  with- 
out foundation.  She  was  scarcely  able  to  speak,  could  only 
with  difficulty  gasp  a  few  words,  and  was  so  ill  and  partially 
unconscious  from  weakness  and  the  opiates  administered  to  her, 
that  she  was  not  able  to  articulate  any  message  of  farewell  even 
to  her  family,  nearly  two  thousand  miles  away,  whose  hearts 
were  breaking  over  the  sad  news  of  her  approaching  end. 
Pardon  me  for  taking  up  so  much  of  your  space,  but  I  feel 
that  with  all  the  beautiful  tributes  your  paper  and  the  press 
generally  have  paid  Emma,  you  will  gladly  allow  an  injustice 
done  to  her  memory,  to  be  righted. 

Lizzie  Abbott  Clark. 

Those  who  know  her  personal  love  for  the  members  of  her 
company,  feel  assured  that  had  Miss  Abbott  had  days  instead 
of  hours  to  prepare  for  the  end  ;  or  had  she  during  those  few  last 
hours  been  free  from  excruciating  suffering,  or  the  influence  of 
opiates,  given  to  afford  relief  from  her  terrible  agon}-,  she 
would  have  left  every  member  of  that  company  in  comparative 
comfort  during  the  rest  of  the  season.  But  when  her  'dear 
old   father, '   and    '  precious   mother, '  were   provided   for,   her 


Too   Weak  to  Think  of  B  17:. 

strength  was  gone,  and  she  fell  back  on  her  pillow  exhausted. 

Not  that  Miss  Abbott  was  indebted  to  her  company.  Their  sal- 
aries were  always  paid  in  full,  but  she  who  had  nut  aside  personal 
feeling  in  remembering  them  ;  who  when  her  own  hearl  revolted 
at  the  'oldson-s.  the  old  scenes,  the  glare  of  the  footlights,  and 
applause  of  the  crowds,  and  longed  for  retirement,  seclusion,  and 
rest, '  had  said  :  '  I  will  not  think  of  myself,  but  of  these  people; 
they  must  not  be  east  adrift  in  mid-winter.'  would  never  have  al- 
lowed the  very  event  to  occur  for  which  she  made  that  heart- 
breaking sacrifice,  had  not  disease  rendered  her  powerless 

The  members  of  the  company  know  this,  and  it  is  safe  to  as- 
sert that  not  one  has  harbored  an  unkind  thought  or  spoken  an 
ungenerous  word  of  their  loved  leader.  They  realized,  as  the 
outside  world  will  never  realize,  that  the  end  began  thai  .V 
Tear's  A'" .  when  for  the  last  time  they  heard  her  voice  in  song. 
They  were  unprovided  for.  other  than  transportation  to  New 
York  and  intermediate  points,  but  this  fact  does  not  reflect  in  the 
least  upon  Miss  Abbott.  Had  the  precedent  established  by  her 
generous  act,  when  Mr.  Wetherell  died,  been  followed.  Mana- 
ger Pratt  might  have  been  a  few  hundreds  poorer  in  purse,  but 
a  thousandfold  richer  in  the  esteem  of  grateful  heart- 


CHAPTER   XX. 

"Sweet  as  a  Day  in  June. 


HERE  are  days  and  days  ;  some  character- 
ized by  chilling  blasts  and  lowering  skies, 
from  which  all  nature  seems  to  shrink  ; 
there  are  April  da3Ts,  half  sun,  half  shad- 
ow, half  smiles,  half  tears ;  cold  Decem- 
ber days,  when  all  is  locked  in  ice  and 
snow ;  and  dreary  October  da}Ts,  when  from  the  rising  to  the 
setting  of  the  sun  winds  moan  and  sigh,  and  the  rain  beats 
pitilessly  upon  the  wrecks  of  beautiful  Summer,  that  lie  every- 
where in  view. 

So  there  are  hearts  and  hearts.  Some  like  the  April  day, 
that  smile  through  tears,  and  weep  through  smiles  ;  some  so 
cold  that  no  phase  of  suffering  or  woe  can  penetrate  their  frigid 
depths  ;  and  yet  others,  who  weep  and  sigh  their  lives  away, 
complaining  that  their  burden  is  heavier  than  they  can  bear. 
And  there  are  hearts  like  a  day  in  June  ;  whose  sunshine  pene- 
trates the  nooks  and  alleyways  of  life,  and  whose  influences, 
like  the  perfume  of  flowers  and  carols  of  birds,  gladden  all 
around. 

Such  a  heart  was  Emma  Abbott's.  Those  who  came  into 
her  presence  were  cheered.  No  matter  what  her  own  grief,  she 
had  words  of  sympathy  and  consolation  for  the  sorrows  of  her 
friends.  From  her  earliest  childhood  she  displayed  the  warm 
heart  and  sympathetic  nature  which,  in  later  years,  prompted 


H.  C.  md  Lizzie  Abbott  Clark. 


Abbott's  Faith  in   God  and  Man.  177 

the  annual  expenditure  of  thousands  of  dollars  in  helping  oth- 
ers. She  had  been  poor  in  purse,  but  was  always  rich  in  sym- 
pathy and  generous  impulses,  like  those  which  impelled  her  in 
her  will,  to  provide  first  for  her  family,  and  a  few  dear  friends  ; 
then  set  aside  many  thousands  for  the  public,  and  best  organ- 
ized charities  of  the  city  she  called  home. 

Her  hopefulness  was  infectious.  No  matter  how  gloomy  one 
might  feel,  or  what  the  cause  of  one's  sadness,  an  hour  with 
her  was  like  getting  out  of  a  chilly,  damp  air,  into  the  warm 
sunlight.  Before  her  joyous  laugh,  her  witty  speech,  and  her 
affectionate  manner,  all  dark  hours  were  forgotten 

To  this  phase  of  her  character  her  husband  attributed  much 
of  his  success.  Heoncesaidto  me,  -The  reason  we  gel  along 
so  well  is  that  Emma  never  gets  blue,  or  down-hearted,  when  I 
am.  Sometimes  she  worries,  as  all  women  do,  but  if  things 
go  wrong  with  me,  let  her  once  find  it  out.  and  when  I  come  in 
her  presence  she  will  meet  me  with  one  of  those  sunny  smiles, 
before  which  nothing  can  stand.  All  at  once  my  own  load  is 
gone,  and  for  my  life,  I  couldn't  say  where. 

Her  faith  in  men  and  women  made  those  with  whom  she 
came  in  contact,  better.  Even  those  whose  disposition  would 
have  tended  to  treachery  were  made  honest  in  their  dealings 
with  her,  by  the  knowledge  that  she  trusted  them.  As  every 
additional  sin  makes  men  and  women  lower.  >o  each  good  deed, 
each  ray  of  truth  that  enters  the  heart,  lifts  them  up  toward 
heaven. 

Emma  Abbott  contended  that  all  who  are  better  for  one  hour 
areone  hour's  march  nearer  the  goal  of  all  good.  So  said  Bhe  ; 
"If  I  can  make  a  man  respect  himself  for  one  day,  self  respecl 
is  ever  afterward  easier  for  him." 

Even' member  of  the  company  felt  this  elevating  influence, 
and  to  her  high  standard  of  moral  character,  the  company,  col- 
lectively and  individually,  are  greatly  indebted  for  the  reputa- 
tion they  heai-. 

Miss  Abbott's  business  tact  was  a  marvel  to  all  who  met  her, 
and  although  many  fancied  thai  to  Mr.  Wetherell's  Bnanceering 


178  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

they  owed  their  rapidly  accumulated,  and  immense  fortune,  the 
business  methods  employed  b}-  her  subsequent  to  his  death, 
proved  her  every  inch  his  peer. 

She  seemed  to  be  able  to  detect  at  once  a  winning  investment, 
and  so  prophetic  did  her  words  often  prove,  that  some  of  the 
superstitious  ones  credited  her  with  the  power  of  bestowing 
luck,  and  a  common  expression  among  members  of  the  corn- 
pan}*  was  "Miss  Abbott's  hand  brings  luck." 

To  the  world  at  large  the  fact  that  her  fortune  increased  so 
rapidly  may  have  betokened  a  love  of  money,  in  the  ordinary 
meaning  of  the  term,  but  Miss  Abbott  loved  money  for  the 
good  it  helped  her  to  do.  True,  she  liked  luxurious  living,  and 
the  dainty  appointments  which  wealth  can  furnish,  but  more 
than  these  she  enjoyed  the  gratitude  of  such  as  were  provided 
with  the  same  by  means  of  her  generosity. 

Emma  Abbott's  self-confidence  and  self-reliance  never  ap- 
proached egotism,  with  her  it  was  not  "Because  I  can,"  but, 
"Because  I  will,"  do  so.  She  believed  in  her  own  powers 
after  she  had  given  sufficient  cultivation  to  accomplish  that 
which  she  desired,  and  I  am  proud  to  record  the  fact  that  she 
seldom  disappointed  herself  or  others. 

Miss  Abbott  was  noted  for  her  habits  of  industry.  A  more 
indefatigable  worker  there  could  not  be.  Study,  business,  at- 
tendance upon  rehearsals,  with  her  usual  night  performances, 
the  formation  of  plans,  filled  almost  every  hour  during  her  reg- 
ular seasons,  and  a  history  of  the  manner  in  which  her  vaca- 
tions were  spent,  appears  elsewhere. 

I  knew  her  first  when  a  girl,  she  was  singing  in  concerts 
through  central  Illinois,  with  always  the  same  object  in  view, 
that  of  becoming  a  prima  donna.  Even  then  her  love  for  her 
father,  who  accompanied  her,  and  for  the  loved  ones  at  home, 
won  the  admiration  of  those  who  formed  her  acquaintance.  She 
never  uttered  the  name  of  one  of  her  family,  father,  mother, 
brother  or  sister,  without  a  prefix  of  endearment.  It  was, 
< '  dear  papa, "  ' '  my  darling  little  mamma, "  ' '  my  blessed  sister, " 
and  "  my  noble  brother. " 


-Charity  for  All."  17:' 

In  the  days  of  her  study  in  New  York,  she  Bang  often  Cor 
charity  entertainments,  saving,  "lam  poor  myself ,  and  I  am 
always  willing  to  assist  others."  In  a  letter  before  me  is  the 
description  of  a  concert  given  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  George  I 
man.  in  1871,  for  the  benefit  of  the  "Chapin  Charity  Fund 
Mrs.  Hoffman  had  met  her.  and.  being  charmed  l>y  her  voice 
and  ingenuousness,  invited  her  to  sing  for  this  charity  at  her 
home.  From  the  date  of  that  concert  her  success  seemed  as- 
sured. 

The  hours  spent  in  her  society  were  those  of  profil  tor  me 
Every  hour  I  learned  some  lesson  of  hope,  of  faith,  of  charity 
or  unselfishness.      None  were  so   bad,    but  in   their  lives  she 
found  some  redeeming  quality. 

Often  I  have  heard  her  say,  "We  are  all  the  children  of 
God's  hand,  and  none  of  His  work  is  without  some  ;:<>"<  1  ; 
something  which,  under  proper  influence,  would  redeem  the 
evil. " 

In  recalling  the  downfall  of  one  of  the  profession,  she  said. 
"I  must  not  chide,  I  must  not  judge;  for  only  Grod  knows  the 
manifold  temptations  that  poor  soul  may  have  overcome. 
There  are  temptations  before  which  my  own  strength  becomes 
weakness,  and  were  it  not  that  I  was  taughl  by  my  blessed 
mother  to  pray,  'Deliver  me  from  evil,'  I,  too,  might  have  fallen 
long  ago.  I  never  think  of  this,  but  I  say.  '  Perhaps  she  had 
no  mother  to  teach  her  where  to  go  for  strength  in  the  hour  of 
temptation.''  Many  of  the  singer's  generous  deeds  are  re- 
corded in  this  volume,  but  there  are  scores  of  others  oi 
which  I  am  cognizant,  which  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  mention 
To  do  so  would  trespass  beyond  the  bounds  of  sacred  con- 
fidence. 

But  brighter  than  all  else,  overshadowing  sympathy,  charity, 
generosity,  and  even  her  artistic  excellence,  does  her  guileless 
life,  her  unsullied  reputation,  shine  forth,  Baying  t<>  profes- 
sional aspirants,  "There  are  in  our  life  no  temptations  which 
may  not  with  divine  assistance  lie  overcome;  no  Christian 
graces  which   we  may  not    display 


180  Life  of  Emma  Abbott. 

My  task,  a  sweet  but  sad  one,  is  almost  done.  Begun  at  her 
own  request,  and  with  her  own  assistance,  it  promised  to  be  a  de- 
lightful occupation,  but,  alas  !  it  has  twice  been  stopped  by 
death  ;  first  that  of  her  beloved  husband,  and  she  said  :  "I  can- 
not go  on  with  it,  the  recollections  are  too  sad  ;  "  therefore  it  was 
laid  aside  until  the  autumn  of  1890,  when,  at  Miss  Abbott's  sug- 
gestion, the  few  lines  which  had  been  written  were  brought  out, 
and  the  threads  of  history  tied  anew.  Her  last  engagement  in 
Minneapolis  was,  she  told  me,  the  busiest  of  her  whole  life. 
Preparations  and  rehearsals  for  Anne  Boleyn  occupied  nearly 
the  entire  day,  and  we  talked  of  the  work  in  hand  by  snatches 
only.  The  day  of  her  departure  she  said  to  me,  < '  Go  ahead, 
do  your  best ;  and  when  I  return  to  the  East  we  will  com- 
plete it." 

She  looked  so  happy  that  day,  attired  in  a  neatly  fitting  gown 
of  black  brocade  velvet  with  demi-traine,  Lord  Fauntleroy 
collar  and  cuffs,  her  red-brown  hair  in  rings  all  over  her  head. 
She  looked  up  as  I  entered  with,  "How  glad  I  am  you  have 
come,  I  feared  you  might  be  ill,  and  I  wouldn't  get  to  see  you. " 

She  talked  of  our  plans  for  her  biography,  of  her  father,  and 
said,  "As  he  grows  older,  I  realize  more  and  more  that  I  shall 
soon  be  denied  the  privilege  of  meeting  him  when  I  come  to 
Minneapolis." 

I  could  but  wonder  as  I  talked  with  her,  at  her  marvellous 
vivaciousness.  Although  the  week  had  been  such  a  hard  one, 
she  seemed  as  fresh  as  though  she  had  just  ended  a  seven-day's 
rest. 

There  are  those  who  maintain  that  last  meetings  are  alwa}-s 
characterized  hy  presentiments.  Who  could  have  divined  then 
that  she,  with  her  glorious  voice,  her  wonderful  vitality,  her 
cheerful  spirit,  was  so  near  the  end?  I  confidently  expected 
to  meet  her  again,  and  counted  the  weeks  and  days  until  her 
Eastern  "  bookings"  would  throw  us  together  for  a  time. 

From  points  along  her  western  route  I  learned  of  her  extraor- 
dinary success.  I  read  press  notices,  and  the  tributes  of  friends 
to  her  greatly  improved  qualit}r  of  voice,  and  dramatic  power. 


Leon  Abbott. 


Tht  Author*  Tr'Jmi,   to  Her  Memory.  lvl 

Then  came  telegrams  announcing  her  indisposition,  her  serious 

illness;  and  all  day  on  Sunday,  January  4,  I  trembled  Les1  I 
hear  that  she  was  gone. 

Monday  morning,  soon  after  I  arose,  the  sad  message  came, 
and  I  realized  that  a  friendship  which  was  more  than  friendship, 

a  sentiment  which  partook  of  sisterly  love,  which  was  character- 
ized by  implicit  trust  and  confidence  on  both  sides,  was  broken. 
That  the  assurance  which  she  never  failed  to  express  when  we 
met,  "My  dear.  I  do  love  you.  and  I'm  sure  you  know  it."  had 
been  given  me  for  the  last  time.  I  read  again  and  again  the 
words  "Emma  Abbott  died  at  Hotel  Templeton  this  morning," 
ere  I  could  realize  that  the  dearest  friend  I  had  outside  my 
own  family,  was  gone  forever.     *     *     * 

On  the  altar  of  love  I  place  this  humble  tribute  to  her  noble 
life  ;  a  partial  record  of  its  generous  deeds  and  self-sacrificing 
impulses.  Another  might  perchance  have  woven  them  in  more 
pleasing  manner,  but  none  could  have  been  impelled  by  ten- 
derer love  ;  for  on  the  stage  she  was  my  ideal  artist,  in  the  se- 
clusion of  her  room,  when,  with  all  the  world  shut  out,  we 
talked  alone  of  our  hopes  and  plans,  she  was  my  sympathizing, 
loving  sister  ;    at  all  times,  in  all  places,  and  under  all  Condi 

tions,  a  true,  devoted  friend. 

S.  E.  M. 


Appendix. 


kYER  ABBOTT  was  born  on  June  18,  1778,  and  when  aboul  thirty- 
one  years  of  ape  was  wedded  to  Sarah  Atkinson,  daughter  of  Ben- 
jamin Atkinson,  of  Boscawen,  New  Hampshire.     During  their 

early  married  life  the  young  couple  kepi  a  small  tavern  in  Con- 
cord, where  Mr.  Abboti  was  director  of  the  old  South  Church  choir. 
When  the  war  of  1812  broke  out,  Mr.  Abboti  was  commissioned  as 
Fife  Major,  and  shortly  after  removed  his  family  in  Henniker,  a  vil- 
lage sixteen  miles  west  of  Concord.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dyer  Abboti  were 
the  parents  of  twelve  children,  three  of  whom  are  >till  living,  Mrs. 
Maria  Messenger,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  now  eighty  years  of  age; 
Seth  Abbott,  aged  seventy-four:  and  Francis  B.  Abbott,  of  Chicago. 

The  Abbotts  of  that  generation  were  possessed  of  much  musical 
taste  and  talent,  and  although  there  were  few  musical  academies, 
were  well  educated  in  the  theory  of  music,  ami  skillful  manipulators 
of  the.  popular  instruments  of  that  time,  and  excellent  singers. 
Dyer  Abbott  taught  several  classes  in  his  neighborhood,  ami  gave  the 
members  of  his  own  family  the  benefit  of  the  besl  musical  teaching 
the  time  and  locality  afforded. 

His  daughter,  Maria,  was  noted  for  her  bird-like  soprano  voice, 
and  was  the  leading  singer  in  Lowell  Mason's  Boston  Academj  of 
Music.  She  appeared  in  many  concerts,  both  in  Boston  and  Lowell, 
under  direction  of  Ostinella  and  other  noted  leaders.  Braham,  of 
London,  whom  she  assisted  at  several  concerts  in  the  larger  cities 
pronounced  her  the  mosl  a'ccomplished  American  vocalist  of  her  time. 

Seth,  the  father  of  Emma  Abbott,  was  ;i  puny  infant,  and  hi-  fam- 
ily little  thought  If  would  live  to  manhood's  years.  When  four 
months  old  the  family  pronounced  his  lamp  of  life  as  nearly  extinct  ; 

and  in  accordance'   with    the   custom   of    the   lime,  the    neighbors   and 
pastor    of     the    church,   Rev.  Mr.  Sawyer.  \v<-yr   - 1 1 in 1 1 1 )d    to  attend 

the  baptism  of  the  dying  baby.     The  minister  opened  the  familj  Bl 


IS -A  Appendix. 

ble  with  the  remark,  "As  he  will  be  short-lived  we  will  give  him  a 
short  name,"  and  turning  from  page  to  page  selected  Seth.  To 
the  reviving  influence  of  the  water,  Mr.  Abbott  attributes  his  recov- 
ery, and  still  holds  in  his  heart  a  warm  place  for  Rev.  Mr.  Sawyer. 
Of  nearly  forty  persons  present  on  that  occasion,  only  Mrs.  Messen- 
ger and  Mr.  Seth  Abbott  are  living. 

At  an  early  age  the  boy  displayed  the  musical  taste  and  talent  of 
the  family,  as  well  as  decided  mathematical  genius.  When  nine 
years  of  age  he  sang  all  the  odes  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  often 
accompanied  his  father  to  public  celebrations  and  installations  in 
neighboring  towns.  He  gave  much  attention  to  the  study  of  music, 
attending  classes  in  the  winter  season.  Among  his  teachers  was 
Leonard  Marshall,  since  a  teacher  and  publisher  in  Boston. 

At  that  time  evening  spelling  schools  were  the  principal  enter- 
tainment for  the  children,  and  were  held  once  each  week.  On  these  oc- 
casions it  was  customary  after  spelling  was  concluded  to  propound 
catch  questions,  and  the  one  who  gave  the  correct  answer  was  ac- 
corded the  privilege  of  asking  the  succeeding  question.  On  one  oc- 
casion having  answered  correctly  a  question  in  geography,  Seth 
asked,  "  What  noted  Hill  in  New  Hampshire?"  As  no  answer  was 
forthcoming  the  questioner  replied  to  himself;  "Isaac  Hill,"  and 
created  quite  a  laugh,  Isaac  Hill  being  a  noted  politician  of  the 
time.  This  paved  the  way  for  another  question  by  the  boy,  which 
was,  "  What  is  one-third  of  one  hundred  millions?"  This  was  too 
much  for  the  mental  capacity  of  the  young  folks,  and  Seth  answered 
again,  thus  capturing  the  prize  of  the  evening. 

The  next  week  Isaac  Hill's  paper,  The  New  Hampshire  Patriot, 
contained  an  account  of  the  exercises  of  the  spelling  school  at  Hen- 
niker,  and  Seth's  geographical  pun  was  given  much  prominence. 

In  1829  Gen.  Andrew  Jacksou  visited  Concord,  and  young  Abbott 
with  six  associates,  who  were  admirers  of  the  hero's  reputation,  de- 
cided to  visit  the  state  capital  on  that  occasion,  even  though  com- 
pelled to  walk  the  entire  distance  of  sixteen  miles.  They  started 
long  before  daylight,  and  on  arriving  there  met  Col.  Woods  of  their 
own  town.  This  gentleman  took  young  Abbott  to  the  sanctum  of 
the  Patriot,  which  was  presided  over  by  Governor  Isaac  Hill,  and  in- 
troduced him  as  the  wag  of  the  Henniker  spelling  school.  The  boy 
was  welcomed  by  Mr.  Hill  and  presented  with  a  pocketful  of  six- 
penny, shilling,  and  twenty-cent,  silver  coins. 

Gov.  Hill  also  ordered  dinner  for  young  Abbott  and  himself  at  the 
leading  hotel  of  the  town,  where  they  sat  at  table  with  Judge  Dar- 
ling and  other  notables.  Gen.  Jackson  did  not  make  his  appearance 
on  the  streets  until  a  late  hour,  and  arrived  just  in  time  to  divert  at- 


George  Abbott  and  Famil 


Appendix.  [85 

tention  from  the  Abbott  yomh.  whose  fame  had  spread  among  the 
boys  of  the  town,  and  they  fairly  mobbed  him  with  their  attentions. 

In  1833  young  Abbott  attended  singing  school  in  Lowell,  and  took 
as  on  the  violin.  He  also  was  sel  at  work  as  an  apprentice  in  a 
machine  shopwith  his  brothers,  John,  and  Francis.  Both  of  the  lat- 
ter became  firstrclass  machinists,  bui  Seth  had  music  in  his  soul,  and 
music  on  the  brain,  and  no  love  for  the  shop.  The  next  year  he  learned 
to  play  the  French  horn  and  Canopean.  Having  a  desire  to  see  the 
world,  he  bethought  himself  of  a  life  at  sea.  Be  had  saved  some- 
thing more  than  a  hundred  dollars,  and  was  induced  bj  the  captain 
of  a  fishing  vessel  to  invest  one  hundred  in  a  share  of  the  same.  It 
was  an  oft'  year  for  fishing,  and  after  cruising  about  for  some  months 
with  indifferent  success,  young  Abbott  applied  for  his  discharge, 
which  was  given  him.  The  experience  proved  a  dear  one  as  he  re- 
covered but  five  of  the  hundred  dollars  he  had  invested  in  the  vessel. 
It  proved  a  sufficient  one  for  the  boy.  and  lie  turned  again  to  his 
music  with  more  enthusiasm  than  before. 

In  1838.  having  taken  a  course  of  music  in  Boston  under  Lowell 
Mason,  and  received  a  diploma  from  that  noted  gentleman.  .Mr.  Ab- 
bott, who  had  then  arrived  at  the  dignity  of  manhood,  began  teach- 
ing vocal  music  in  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  with  a  class  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pupils  :  also  led  the  choir  of  Rev.  Mr.  Horton's  church, 
of  the  same  city.  The  choir  was  accompanied  by  an  excellent  or- 
chestra under  the  direction  of  Isaac  Robinson. 

The  band  was  composed  of  twelve  players  and  two  vocalist-,  eighl 
of  whom  were  paid  large  salaries.  To  meet  the  expense  incurred, 
the  Handel  and  Hayden  society  of  Lowell  volunteered  the  assistance 
of  its  two  hundred  members.  After  paying  all  salaries  and  the  ex- 
pense of  the  concert,  two  hundred  dollars  remained  in  the  treasury. 
The  society  gave  concerts  in  a  number  of  the  adjacent  towns  with 
great  success.  Mrs.  John  Hutchinson,  of  the  noted  Hutchinson 
family,  was  a  member  of  this  society. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1839  Mr.  Abbott  went  to  Rochester,  New 
York,  and  became  a  member  of  Capt.  Cheshire's  brass  band,  also 
taught  vocal  classes  in  that  city.  During  the  year  L840,  in  the 
"Tippecanoe  and  Tyler,  too,"  campaign,  the  Cheshire  band  played  at 
Democratic  mass  meetings  in  almost  every  town  and  city  in  western 
New  York.  The  following  winter  six  of  the  musicians  (including 
Seth  Abbott)  were  selected  to  play  at  Bart's  Garden  in  Buffalo. 

In  thespringof  1841  Mr.  ADbott,  with  his  own  orchestra,  made  a 
season  cnLratfemcnt  to  play  on  a  steamer  on  Lake  Erie,  commanded 
by  Captain  Whittaker,  stopping  at  all  points  on  tin'  lake  between 
Buffalo  and  Detroit. 


186  Appendix. 

After  this  time  Mr.  Abbott  was  a  member  of  an  orchestra  and 
taught  continuously  until  1842,  when  he  was  married  at  Woodstock, 
Vermont,  to  Almira  Palmer,  daughter  of  Dr.  Galen  Palmer,  of  that 
place.  Miss  Palmer  was  one  of  the  leading  young  ladies  of  the 
town,  and  an  excellent  singer.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Abbott  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  (often  teaching  evening  classes), 
until  1848,  when  he  with  relatives  started  West. 

His  first  music  teaching  in  the  West  was  on  the  Rock  River  circuit, 
in  the  towns  of  Rockford,  Freeport,  Elgin,  and  other  smaller,  but 
•live  towns.  There  were  no  railroads  in  the  country,  and  he  was  com- 
pelled to  make  his  rounds  in  a  buggy.  In  those  days  people  were 
more  socially  inclined  than  now,  and  men,  women  and  children  would 
walk  and  drive  miles  to  attend  singing  school. 

At  Freeport  on  the  first  night  the  court  house  was  packed  to  the 
doors.  Hon.  Thomas  J.  Turner,  a  pioneer  of  that  city,  headed  the 
subscription  to  the  class  fund  with  ten  dollars.  Nearly  all  the  mer- 
chants and  lawyers  of  the  town  gave  the  same.  The  programs  for 
those  entertainments  would  to-day  do  credit  to  any  city.  There 
were  at  that  time  few  entertainments  of  any  kind,  and  all  being 
thoroughly  democratic  entered  into  whatever  they  undertook  with  a 
will.  Freeport  was  at  that  time  the  most  musical  town  west  of  Chi- 
cago. The  eldest  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Abbott  died  while  the  family 
was  at  Rochester,  and  was  buried  in  Mt.  Hope  cemetery.  The  second 
child,  George,  was  born  at  Grand  De  Tour.  At  the  age  of  fifteen 
George  played  the  violin  with  much  skill,  and  led  an  orchestra  at 
Beoria.  In  later  years  he  became  quite  a  noted  soloist.  Soon  after 
the  birth  of  George,  the  family  moved  to  Chicago,  where  Mr. 
Abbott  taught  classes  on  the  North,  South,  and  West  sides.  At  that 
time  there  was  but  one  other  music  teacher  of  note  in  the  city, 
Frank  Lombard,  who  with  his  wife  gave  some  excellent  concerts, 
Mrs.  Lombard  being  an  excellent  soloist.  Mr.  Lombard  was  consid- 
ered the  finest  campaign  singer  in  the  West.  In  1850  two  other 
teachers  came  to  Chicago,  Messrs.  Hillis  and  Dye,  the  former  noted 
as  a  vocal  and  instrumental  instructor,  and  a  great  basso  ;  the  latter 
a  highly  successful  teacher  of  juvenile  classes. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  1850,  Emma  Abbott,  the  afterward  fa- 
mous prima  donna,  was  born.  That  night  Mr.  Abbott  gave  a  concert 
at  Market  Hall,  on  State  street  between  Lake  and  Randolph.  The 
singers  on  that  occasion  were  Messrs.  Frank  Lombard,  Hillis  and 
Johnson,  Miss  Hall  (the  finest  soprano  in  the  city),  who  afterward 
became  Mrs.  Hillis,  and  Mrs.  Reynolds,  of  London,  who  was  the 
most  accomplished  vocalist  that  had  at  that  time  visited  Chicago. 
The  concert  was  an  artistic  and  financial  success. 


Appendix.  187 

In  1852  the  cholera  made  Its  socond  appearance  in  Chicago,  and  the 
Abbott  family  for  security  moved  to  St.  Charles,     Mr.  Abbott  tauRht 

classes  in  St.  Charles  and  adjoining  towns,  and  had  at  the  same 
time  an  urgent  request  to  take  classes  in  Galesburg  and  Monmouth. 

In  185.3  Mr.  Abbott  was  called  to  Peoria  to  teach  vocal  music,  and 
take  charge  of  the  First  Baptist  choir  of  thai  city,  and  here  Emma 
remained  until  fourteen  years  of  age,  when  she  joined  a  travelling  con- 
cert  company.  At  the  age  of  seven  she  took  instruction  on  the  guitar, 
and  in  little  more  than  a  year  became  an  excellent  player.  After  she 
was  nine  she  played  and  sang  in  concerts  each  year  for  a  season  of 
three  months,  until  twelve  years  of  age.  Her  father  and  brother 
George  sang  with  her,  the  latter  playing  the  violin.  When  he  was 
twelve,  and  Emma  ten  years  of  age.  they  sang  the  duet  "Hear  me, 
Norma,"  and  Emma  sanir  "Merry  Zingara"  and  --11  Bacio."  At 
this  time  she  had  had  no  vocal  instruction  other  than  that  given  by 
her  father. 

Emma's  concert  debut  was  made  at  Edward's  school-house  near 
Peoria,  at  nine  years  of  age.  The  concert  was  given  at  the  request 
of  the  coal  miners  of  the  district,  and  was  a  financial  as  well  as  ar- 
tistic success.  When  Mr.  Abbott  and  Emma  arrived,  the  s<  liool- 
house  was  crowded,  and  five  hundred  persons  waited  on  the  outside 
anxious  to  obtain  a  glimpse  of   the  embryo  star,  even   though   they 

were  unable  to  hear  her  sing.     No  price  of  admission  had   I n  fixed, 

but  the  honest-hearted  miners  volunteered  a  collection  which  aver- 
aged twenty-five  cents  for  every  person  in  attendance. 

The  doors  were  opened  and  windows  raised,  so  that  those  on  the 
outside  might  catch  something  of  the  melody  of  guitar,  violin,  and 
the  sweet  young  voice  that  gladdened  the  hearts  within.  At  the 
close  of  the  concert  hundreds,  who  had  not  been  able  to  gain  an  en- 
trance, crowded  about  the  Abbott  carriage  to  pay  their  quarter  for 
the  entertainment,  declaring  that  they  had  received  many  times  tin- 
value  of  the  donation  in  enjoy  men  t. 

The  story  of  the  Edward  school-house  concert  has  been  told  again 
and  again,  but  the  star  of  the  occasion  has  been  represented  as  walk- 
ing many  miles  in  bare  feet  and  shabby  attin-  to  the  scene  of  the  en- 
tertainment. This  version  is  as  absolutely  I'aNe  as  are  all  other 
stories  of  the  extreme  poverty  of  the  Abbott  family  at  that  or  any 
other  time.  But  for  these  falsehoods  this  appendix  to  the  "Life  of 
Emma  Abbott"  would  never  have  been  written.  Justice,  however,  to 
the  family,  and  particularly  to  Emma's  father,  Seth  Abbott,  demands 

thai  the  true  standing  of  the  family  at  thai  time  1 icplained.    This 

explanation  is  given  with  the  hope  of  forever  silencing  three  classes 
of  persons.     First,  those  who  through  a  misconceived  admiration  for 


188  Appendix. 

the  gifted  singer,  seem  to  feel  that  the  lower  they  place  Emma  dur- 
ing the  years  of  her  childhood,  the  grander  does  her  character  ap- 
pear ;  second,  those  who  being  anxious  to  make  a  display  of  assumed 
knowledge,  tell  truth  and  falsehood  indiscriminately ;  third,  the  few 
who  have  assurance  to  claim  credit  for  Emma's  early  teaching,  and 
who  assume  to  have  given  her  her  start  in  music,  etc. 

There  are  those  who  are  sufficiently  unscrupulous  to  assert  that, 
but  for  their  teaching,  Emma  Abbott  would  never  have  risen  to  dig- 
nity "greater  than  that  of  a  ballad-singer."  It  is  unreasonable  to 
suppose  that  Emma  would  study  under  any  other  teacher  than  her 
father  while  he  was  making  vocal  instruction  his  principal  vocation, 
and  attaining,  wherever  he  taught,  the  highest  possible  success.  In 
fact  she  had  with  one  exception,  Mozart  of  Chicago,  no  other  teacher 
until  she  studied  under  Errani  in  New  York  City. 

In  1874  Mr.  Abbott  taught  music  and  gave  several  concerts  in 
Washington.  In  1876  he  led  a  very  successful  class  in  Baltimore. 
In  1878  he  moved  to  Minneapolis,  where  he  still  resides.  During  his 
residence  there  Mr.  Abbott  has  platted  five  additions  to  the  city, 
two  of  which,  Emma  Abbott  Park  and  Mendelssohn,  are  among  the 
finest  suburbs.  Had  Miss  Abbott  lived,  she  would  have  joined  her 
father  in  making  of  the  addition  bearing  her  name  a  real  park, 
with  beautiful  trees,  flowers,  and  streams  of  water,  a  place  where 
the  citizens  of  Minneapolis  might  resort,  and  enjoy  as  her  gift,  pure 
air  and  charming  surroundings. 

This  was  one  of  her  favorite  and  latest  plans,  and  only  a  month 
previous  to  her  last  visit  she  had  written  her  father  as  follows  : 

"You  know  my  plans  for  Emma  Abbott  Park,  and  when  I  come  to 
Minneapolis  you  must  take  me  out  there,  and  we  will  plan  together 
to  make  it  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  city's  parks. 

"If  you  wish  to  do  a  little  something,  you  may  direct  the  work.  I 
intend  to  make  of  that  tract  a  spot  which  will  be  a  credit  to  the 
city,  to  myself,  and  to  you,  who  have  spent  so  many  hours  of  hard 
labor  in  platting  and  improving  it." 

Besides  these  suburbs  he  has  made  many  heavy  deals  in  real  estate, 
and  but  for  a  too  liberal  patronage  of  lawyers  might  to-day  be  one  of 
Minneapolis'  wealthiest  citizens.  The  stories  of  his  shif  tlessness  should 
be  silenced  by  the  statement  that  the  gentleman's  credit  has  enabled 
him  to  borrow  large  sums  of  money  of  Minneapolis  capitalists,  all  of 
whom  have  been  fully  paid  or  are  amply  secured. 

The  members  of  Emma  Abbott's  family  now  living  are  her  father 
and  mother,  Seth  and  Almira  Abbott ;  Leon  Abbott  and  family,  of 
Waukesha,  Wisconsin;  Fred  M.  Abbott,  of  Chicago,  and  Mrs.  Lizzie 
Abbott   Clark,  of  Chicago.     Of  nieces   and    nephews  there   are   six. 


Appendix.  h'.1 

Eugene  F.  and  Charlotte  E..  children  of  George  and  Alice  Abbott; 
Emma  A..  Samuel  I..  Kennedy  J.,  and  Willie  S.,  children  of  Leon 
Abbott,  all  of  Waukesha. 

A  brother,  George  Abbott,  whose  death  four  years  preceding  her 
own  was  a  terrible  blow  to  the  singer,  resided  in  Waukesha,  where 
his  widow,  Alice  Abbott  Jones,  with  his  children,  still  make  their 
home.  Mrs.  Jones  is  a  highly  accomplished  pianist,  as  also  Is  Mr-. 
Clark,  Emma's  only  sister.  The  latter  ha-  a  charming  mezzo  so- 
prano voice,  which  may  yet  be  heard  on  the  concert  stage.  Fred  M. 
Abbott  is  also  a  musician,  and  a  member  of  one  of  the  finest  string 
orchestras  in  the  city  of  Chicago. 

After  reading  the  musical  record  of  the  Abbott  family  for  three 
generations,  one  can  but  exclaim  :  -'No  wonder  Emma  Abbott  could 
sing  like  a  Nightingale.     Indeed,  how  could  she  help  it?*' 


The  "Wetherell  Monument. 


*  *  *  For  a  year  preceding  her  death,  Miss  Abbott  had  studied 
designs  and  plans  for  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  her  husband. 
It  was  her  desire  to  erect  one  of  the  most  expensive,  perhaps  the 
costliest  monument  in  the  United  States,  dedicated  to  the  memory  of 
a  private  individual. 

She  desired  also  that  the  designs  should  incorporate  a  number  of 
her  favorite  fancies,  as  well  as  those  of  her  husband,  besides  several 
ideas  of  musical  significance. 

The  peculiar  ideas  of  the  dead  singer  in  regard  to  cremation  led  to 
considerable  discussion  regarding  plans.  Her  first  idea  was  thai  of 
an  immense  silver  urn,  the  bottom  of  which  was  to  be  imbedded  in  a 
block  of  granite,  which  should  stand  in  the  center  of  the  monument 
under  a  canopy.  This  was  to  remain  unsealed  until  her  own  death 
when  after  receiving  her  ashes  it  was  to  be  sealed  and    made  secure. 

The  same  fear  of  human  ghouls  and  grave  robbers  which  led  her 
to  require  that  her  body  be  cremated,  caused  the  abandonment  of 
this  plan,  and  the  adoption  of  the  one  which  is  now  in  process  of 
consummation. 

The  design  furnished  Miss  Abbott  was  prepared  by  Messrs.  Rein- 
halter  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  and  is  a  combination  of  six  original 
de8ignS  Submitted  to  her.  and  the  ideas  furnished  them  by  her.  The 
monument  is  to  be  placed  in  Oak  Grove  Cemetry,  at  Gloucester,  Mas- 
sachusetts, where  Mr.  Wetherell  i-  Interred,  and  where  the  ashes  of 
the  singer  .will  repose. 

It  i-  composed  of  Qulncy  ami  eastern  granite,  and  rise-  in  a  height 
of  >ixty  feet.  Prom  each  corner  of  a  triangular  base  of  fifteen  feet, 
approached  by  five  steps  on  each  side,  rises  a  curious  triple  column. 
A  carved  canopy  covers  this,  forming  an  open  pavillion ;   above  it 


192  The    Wetherell  Monument. 

rise  two  similar  structures  of  smaller  size,  gradually  tapering  toward 
the  top,  which  is  surmounted  by  a  finial.  Pinnacles  rise  from  every 
corner,  with  smaller  ornaments  similar  to  that  at  the  top.  On  the 
front,  just  over  the  entrance,  is  the  inscription,  "  In  Loving  Memory 
of  Eugene  Wetherell."  These  words  with  the  modest  carving, 
"Emma  Abbott  Wetherell,"  on  a  slab  in  the  floor  covering  the  re- 
mains of  the  singer,  are  the  only  characters  graven  on  the  monu- 
ment. 

Before  going  to  Paris  in  the  summer  of  1890  Miss  Abbott  obtained 
photographs  of  the  six  designs  which  had  been  prepared,  and  fast- 
ened them  on  the  ceiling  of  her  berth  on  the  steamer  for  the  purpose 
of  deciding  upon  a  happy  combination,  as  she  was  in  the  habit  of 
choosing  her  stage  costumes.  While  in  Europe  she  greatly  admired 
the  carving  executed  by  old  Italian  masters  on  the  celebrated  Dromo 
Cathedra],  at  Milan,  and.  Secured  an  immense  photograph  of  the 
building,  which  she  placed  in  her  designer's  hands.  From  this  was 
planned  the  carving  on  the  monument,  which  is  extremely  elaborate 
and  costly.  The  idea  of  trios,  quintettes  and  septettes,  on  which  she 
dwelt  with  peculiar  emphasis,  is  carried  out  in  everything,  and  it  is 
expected,  when  completed  the  memorial  will  fulfil  her  expectation 
that  it  would  be  the  finest  erected  to  any  individual  in  this  country. 


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